Boy Arrested in Shooting Deaths of Newark Teens on Christmas Day

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in the double fatal shooting of a 13-year-old Newark girl who was killed taking out the trash on Christmas Day and a 14-year-old boy who lived nearby, officials say.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray announced the arrest Tuesday afternoon.

She says the juvenile, whose name was not disclosed due to his age, is also charged with attempted murder of a third shooting victim and weapons charges. He's being held in a youth detention facility.

News of the arrest comes as hundreds of people are expected to gather to mourn 13-year-old Zainee Hailey at her funeral at New Zion Baptist Church in Elizabeth, N.J.

Hailey, an honors student, was killed along with teen neighbor Kasson Morman last week when gunfire erupted on Schley Street in the South Ward. 

Another child was also shot, but he survived. 

The killings put Newark's homicide count over 100 for 2013, the first year since 2006 the city has reached that mark. Residents and community leaders have been rallying for an end to the violence, pushing for more police on the streets and talking about neighborhood patrols. 

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