In the early evening of June 27, 2025, a burst of gunfire shattered the quiet on the 100 block of Huntington Terrace in Newark, New Jersey. When police arrived, they found 16-year-old Kayla Spivey-Tutt suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Paramedics rushed the teenage girl to University Hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery and fought for her life.
Tragically, her injuries proved too severe, and she succumbed to them three days later, on June 30.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a domestic dispute as the motive. The day after the incident, on June 28, authorities arrested 18-year-old Amir Sanderson in connection with the fatal shooting. He was subsequently charged with purposeful murder. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide and Major Crimes Unit has taken the lead on the ongoing investigation.
In the wake of her death, family and friends gathered to remember Kayla. A balloon launch with pink, purple, and white balloons was held in her honor in Newark on July 3. Her funeral was held on July 14 at the Transcend Worship Center in Irvington, followed by her burial at Fairmount Cemetery in Newark.
