In the late hours of a Saturday night, the vibrant energy of Newark's Bloomfield Avenue was shattered by a barrage of gunfire. Just before midnight on August 2, 2025, a chaotic scene unfolded that would claim the life of 33-year-old Alvis Jottanael Perez-Liriano, a male resident of nearby Elizabeth, New Jersey. The night was pierced by the sound of what witnesses described as an intense exchange of high-caliber gunfire, with shot-spotter technology initially registering 40 rounds before losing
count.
Responding to numerous 911 calls, Newark police arrived at the 300-block of Bloomfield Avenue to a scene of utter mayhem. Investigators would later recover nearly 83 spent shell casings, a stark testament to the ferocity of the violence that had erupted. Amid the chaos, two men were discovered with gunshot wounds. Perez-Liriano was rushed to University Hospital, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he was pronounced dead the following morning at 6:53 a.m. The second victim, who was also shot, was transported to the same hospital and was reported to be in stable condition.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office immediately launched an investigation into the deadly shooting. Authorities revealed that at least three individuals were believed to have been involved in the exchange of gunfire, though it remains unclear what precipitated the violence. It has not been determined if Perez-Liriano was an intended target of the shooting or an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. The area where the shooting occurred, near Branch Brook Park, had been noted for previous incidents of late-night violence.
In the days following the tragic event, funeral services for Alvis Perez-Liriano were arranged to be held in his native Dominican Republic. As of the latest reports, the investigation into his death is ongoing, and authorities have not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the shooting. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office continues to seek information from the public to help piece together the events of that fatal night.
