In the heart of downtown Newark, on a late Tuesday morning in June, the life of 26-year-old Terrence J. Wilson was tragically cut short. On June 4, 2019, at approximately 9:44 a.m., Wilson was shot in a retail establishment located in the bustling 100 block of Market Street. The brazen act of violence sent shockwaves through the city's busy business district. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and transported Wilson to University Hospital, but his injuries were too severe.
He was pronounced dead at 11:04 a.m.
The investigation into the death of the Newark man was swift. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, working in conjunction with detectives from the Newark Police Department, immediately began piecing together the events of that morning. Their efforts quickly led them to a person of interest, and within a day of the shooting, an arrest was made.
On June 5, 2019, authorities located and apprehended 21-year-old Jahid Nelson of Newark at the Garden State Motor Lodge in the nearby city of Union. Nelson was taken into custody and subsequently charged with the murder of Terrence J. Wilson. The charges brought against him also included conspiracy to commit murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Following his arrest, Nelson was held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark. While the primary suspect was in custody, authorities indicated that the investigation remained active and that other arrests were possible.
