Kasson L. Brown, 20, was fatally shot in Newark’s West Ward on the night of January 2, 2021. Residents reported hearing more than a dozen gunshots around 11:23 p.m.; police found Brown unconscious inside a vehicle at South 9th Street and 14th Avenue and he was pronounced dead at 11:39 p.m. He was Black/African American and a recent graduate of Marion P. Thomas Charter School who hoped to attend trade school. Family said he loved cars and was nicknamed Hellcat. He was reportedly on his way home when the shooting happened.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, with Newark Police detectives, is investigating. Investigators say a red Dodge Charger was seen speeding away after the shooting; no arrests have been announced. The community has expressed sorrow and is awaiting answers. If anyone has information about what happened or saw the vehicle leaving the scene, please share it with investigators.