Newark Police Continue Investigation Into Shooting That Injured 12-Year-Old Boy
NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A little boy who was shot in Newark on Friday night is now out of the hospital.
It happened at an apartment along 17th Avenue.
Family members inside the second-floor unit didn't want to talk on camera, but when CBS2's Cory James asked about the 12-year-old victim, they said, "He's good, he's good, he's feeling better."
MORE -- Police: 12-Year-Old Boy Released From Hospital After Shooting In Newark, Investigation Ongoing
Jojo Brinson lives across the hall from the family.
"They only shot him in the hips or something, didn't hit no bones or nothing," Brinson said.
The 82-year-old says he watched the child get wheeled down the stairs on a stretcher before being rushed off to a local hospital.
"It's horrible," Brinson said.
A neighbor who did not want to be identified tells CBS2 she was in her room with her 6-year-old daughter when she heard a loud noise around 10 p.m. When she opened her bedroom door, she saw shattered glass and evidence of gunfire in her living room.
"And the bullets were shot at throughout different locations, here in my house and in their house," she said in Spanish. "I was so scared because if I was there at the time, it could have hit me."
Police spent the night scouring the scene, looking for clues to help track down the shooter.
Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose released a statement reading in part, "Thankfully, the young man is going to be okay. We recovered the vehicle involved, unoccupied. Our shooting detectives are actively following leads."
Detectives hope surveillance video will provide new clues.
Ambrose also said that 450 illegal firearms have been recovered so far this year, surpassing the number of guns taken off Newark streets in 2019.
"When a child gets shot in one of our neighborhoods, that's when we should be up in arms," Ambrose said.
Some neighbors are hoping security measures will be taken to keep residents and children safe.
"They need security at night," one neighbor said.
"There should be more patrolling around the area so that something like this wouldn't happen ever again," another neighbor said. "I pray for his family and I hope for a speedy recovery."
Police have not made any arrests, and there's no word yet on a motive for the shooting.
As for the 12-year-old victim, loved ones say he is resting at home and expected to recover.
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