Gunman fires into crowded NJ carnival, wounding 1 before being shot, wounded by police

NJ carnival shooting leaves gunman, victim injured

BLOOMFIELD, N.J. — A gunman opened fire at a crowded carnival in northern New Jersey and wounded a man before being shot and wounded by a police officer.

It wasn’t clear why the gunman fired several rounds into the crowd of about 1,500 people in Bloomfield on Friday night, and his name was not disclosed.

Authorities said the man’s handgun was recovered at the scene, and he’s expected to face aggravated assault and weapons charges. It was not known if the gunman was targeting a specific person or group.

Bloomfield police announced Saturday afternoon that the four-day carnival, which began Thursday, would not reopen this weekend due to the shooting.

The shooting occurred around 10:15 p.m., causing those in the crowd to flee in panic, said Anthony Ambrose, chief of detectives for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Officials said a bullet struck a man in the arm, and a Bloomfield police officer then shot the gunman once in the torso.

The wounded victim remained hospitalized Saturday at Clara Mass Medical Center in Newark, where he was listed in stable condition. The gunman was taken to University Hospital in Newark, where he underwent surgery Friday night, but further details on his condition were not disclosed Saturday.

Both men were expected to recover from their wounds, Ambrose said.

“The officer’s quick response and professional actions helped avoid what could have been a worse scene here,” Bloomfield Police Chief Mark Leonard told The Star-Ledger of Newark. “Initial investigations show he did the proper job.”

The officer, identified only as a 15-year veteran of the force, was not hurt, and no other crowd members were injured.

The shooting will be reviewed by the county Prosecutor’s Office, which is standard policy for police-involved shootings.