In the late hours of a September weekend in Newark, New Jersey, the life of 25-year-old Ernest Matthews was brought to a violent and tragic end. On September 20, 2015, Matthews, a Black male who used a wheelchair, was fatally shot in front of his own home. The shooting occurred in the 200 block of Irvine Turner Boulevard, shattering the night's quiet and leaving a community in shock.
Authorities were called to the scene in the early morning hours, where they found Matthews with gunshot
wounds. Despite the immediate response, his injuries proved fatal. The incident was one of multiple homicides that plagued Newark that weekend, contributing to a grim tally of violence in the city.
In the wake of the shooting, law enforcement officials began an active and ongoing investigation into the death of Ernest Matthews. A reward of up to $5,000 was offered by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office for any information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for his murder. However, despite these efforts and the public's pleas for justice, no suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in the case. The motive behind the shooting also remains unclear. The case of who killed Ernest Matthews remains unsolved, a painful open wound for his family and the Newark community.
