Elijah J. Roberts, a 30-year-old Black male, was fatally shot on September 22, 2018, on Avon Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. The incident, which took place outside a restaurant, was captured on video surveillance. The footage showed the assailant continuously shooting Roberts even as he tried to crawl away to safety behind a parked car. Roberts was shot seven times, with three of the bullets striking him in the back.
He was pronounced dead while en route to the hospital.
The investigation into the murder led to the arrest of Hassan Todd, also a resident of Newark. Two witnesses came forward and identified Todd as the shooter, providing crucial testimony during the legal proceedings. In addition to the murder of Elijah Roberts, Todd was also charged with shooting a second man in the leg during the same incident.
In 2019, a jury found Hassan Todd guilty of murder, and he was subsequently sentenced to 65 years in state prison. However, this conviction was later overturned by the Appellate Division, and a new trial was ordered. In June 2024, at the conclusion of the retrial, a second jury once again found Todd guilty of murder, as well as aggravated assault and weapons possession. Following this second conviction, Todd faces a potential life sentence. Todd had a significant criminal history, including four prior felony convictions for robbery, aggravated assault, drug offenses, and resisting arrest.
