On a Saturday afternoon in Newark, New Jersey, 30-year-old Jasson Duffy was sitting outside with a friend when their lives were tragically cut short. It was September 14, 2019, at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Mercer Street, when an unidentified individual approached Jasson and his 30-year-old friend, Hassan Ward, and opened fire.
Both Duffy and Ward, both residents of Newark, sustained fatal injuries in the shooting.
A third individual, a 59-year-old woman, was also struck by what authorities believe was a stray bullet. She was transported to a local hospital in critical but stable condition and survived her injuries. The brazen daytime shooting, which unfolded near a funeral home, was reported to have involved more than a dozen shots.
In the aftermath of the double homicide, the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Newark Public Safety Director appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the person or persons responsible. A reward of up to $10,000 was offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. Despite the ongoing investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, no arrests have been made in connection with the murders of Jasson Duffy and Hassan Ward. The motive for the shooting remains undisclosed by authorities.
