On a summer evening in Newark, New Jersey, tragedy struck, forever altering the lives of a local family. Just before 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, 33-year-old Keshawn Garner was shot in the 400 block of 18th Avenue, situated between South 10th Street and Springfield Avenue. The bustling city neighborhood was pierced by the sound of gunfire, leaving chaos and sorrow in its wake.
Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the scene.
Garner, gravely wounded, was rushed to University Hospital. Despite the urgent efforts of medical professionals, his injuries proved to be too severe. He was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m., less than an hour after the shooting. Another man, who was 31 years old at the time, was also a victim of the gunfire, though he fortunately survived the attack.
In the immediate aftermath, the Newark Police Department and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force launched a joint investigation into the fatal shooting. Authorities appealed to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension of those responsible for this violent act. However, in the days and weeks that followed, no arrests were made, and no suspects were publicly identified in connection with the murder of Keshawn Garner. The case, like so many others, was left with more questions than answers, a painful and unresolved chapter for his loved ones and the community.
