A midday shooting in Newark’s North Ward left 34-year-old resident Raheem Colwell dead. In the early afternoon of a Thursday, gunfire erupted in the Stephen Crane housing community on the 60s block of Cedar Lane. First responders transported Colwell to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:35 p.m. on October 2, 2025, from gunshot wounds to his head and shoulder.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office opened a homicide investigation. Early reports said a suspect may have fled toward the Belleville border as officers secured the scene, but investigators had not identified any suspects or disclosed a motive in the days after the shooting. No arrests had been announced.

Friends and family described Colwell as a good, respectful person who loved his children. Funeral services were held while the investigation continued.

If anyone saw activity in the Stephen Crane complex or on Cedar Lane around the time of the shooting, can you share what you know?