In the late afternoon of a Friday in October 2016, a burst of gunfire shattered the city air in the vicinity of Arts High School and the Newark Health Department. When the sound of the shots faded, a man lay on the ground in the 100 block of Williams Street, suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was 33-year-old Davion Jackson, a dedicated full-time employee of the City of Newark.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene at approximately 4:30 p.m., and Jackson was rushed to
University Hospital. Despite the efforts of medical staff, he was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m. Jackson had worked in the medical records department of the Health Department, having been transferred from Neighborhood Services. The shooting occurred just outside his place of work, sending shockwaves through the community of city employees.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office's Major Crimes Task Force, in conjunction with detectives from the Newark Police Department, immediately launched an investigation into the fatal shooting. At the time, authorities did not release information about a potential motive or any suspects. The investigation into the death of Davion Jackson was described as active and ongoing as law enforcement officials began their search for the person or persons responsible for his death.
