In the midst of a violent night in Newark, New Jersey, where gunfire erupted in multiple locations, a 17-year-old male named Yah-Shawn Aziz Hansen, who was Black, tragically lost his life. The events that led to his death began on the evening of Tuesday, November 16, 2021. On that night, the city was experiencing a wave of shootings that left several people wounded.
Newark Police officers were dispatched to Quitman Street following a report of shots fired.
Upon their arrival, they discovered a grim scene. Inside a vehicle, they found Yah-Shawn Aziz Hansen and another male, both suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services were immediately called to the scene, and both victims were rushed to University Hospital for treatment. The other male's condition was not immediately clear, but for Yah-Shawn, a difficult fight for his life had just begun.
For three days, medical staff at University Hospital worked to save the young man's life. Despite their efforts, his injuries proved to be too severe. On Friday, November 19, 2021, at 4:07 p.m., Yah-Shawn Aziz Hansen was pronounced dead. His passing marked another tragic loss to gun violence in the city. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department, launched an investigation into his death.
The shooting on Quitman Street was part of a larger, violent spree that saw a total of nine individuals shot in separate incidents across Newark on that single day. In another part of the city, at the Oscar Miles Housing Complex, another 17-year-old, Altamir Mayweather, was also shot and killed on the same day. While both homicides were being actively investigated, authorities did not immediately confirm if there was a connection between the two deadly shootings. As the investigation into Yah-Shawn's death commenced, no arrests were immediately made, and authorities appealed to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible for cutting his young life short.
