On the evening of August 25, 2022, at about 6:35 p.m., 25-year-old Newark resident Elijah Byrd was shot multiple times near 19th and Avon Avenue and was pronounced dead shortly after police arrived. The shooter left the scene and no suspects or arrests were identified in the immediate aftermath.

The shooting occurred in a neighborhood described by residents as a hotspot for open illegal narcotics sales and frequent shootings. Authorities later noted Byrd had prior involvement in criminal activity; in June 2020 he was implicated in an armed robbery carried out with another alleged member of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips, a detail investigators have considered while probing possible motives.

The investigation remains active and the motive has not been officially determined. Did anyone in the Newark area see or hear anything near 19th and Avon Avenue that evening?