On the evening of July 16, 2023, Lorenzo Boykins, 52, was shot on the 300 block of Springfield Avenue in Newark’s Central Ward. The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office says the shooting happened shortly before 6 p.m.; officers found Boykins with multiple gunshot wounds and he was taken to University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force took over the investigation. Initial reports state no arrests had been made and the investigation remained active; authorities asked anyone with information to contact the prosecutor’s tips line. Funeral services for Boykins were held on July 24, 2023.

If anyone in Newark saw activity on Springfield Avenue that evening or has information that could help investigators, please contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips line.