In the late morning of a summer day in Newark, New Jersey, tragedy struck on the 300 block of West Market Street. Nathaniel Fuller, Jr., a 33-year-old Black male from the neighboring city of East Orange, was sitting in a vehicle on August 7, 2018, when he was fatally shot. The brazen act of violence occurred in broad daylight, shattering the calm of the Tuesday morning.
Emergency services arrived at the scene, but it was too late; Fuller was pronounced dead at 9:32 a.m.
The killing of Nathaniel Fuller was a grim marker in a particularly violent 24-hour period for Newark, representing the third homicide in the city in that short time. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department, immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Authorities appealed to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible for Fuller's death.
Despite the ongoing and active investigation, details regarding a motive or the identification of any suspects have not been made public. The case remains open, one of a string of violent incidents that prompted law enforcement to increase their efforts to curb the surge of violence in the city. The community was left seeking answers and justice for a life cut short in a sudden and brutal act.
