In the early evening of a Sunday in Newark, New Jersey, the life of 21-year-old Tylil Bey-Blanchard was cut short in a sudden act of violence. On April 8, 2018, at approximately 6:45 p.m., gunfire erupted inside a grocery store located on the 300 block of Sixth Avenue. Bey-Blanchard was struck in the stomach by a bullet, suffering a critical injury.
Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene, and the young man was rushed to University Hospital in a desperate attempt to save
his life. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Tylil Bey-Blanchard succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. that same night. The cause of his death was determined to be a single gunshot wound.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office took the lead in the investigation into the homicide. According to preliminary reports from law enforcement, the incident unfolded when a Black male suspect exited a silver vehicle and opened fire in the direction of Bey-Blanchard. After the shooting, the suspect quickly fled the scene in the same car. At the time of the initial reports, authorities had not made any arrests in connection with the shooting. The investigation was described as active and ongoing as detectives continued to search for the individual responsible for the young man's death.
