BY ERIN DUFFY
STAFF WRITER Trenton Times
TRENTON -- A hail of bullets claimed the life of a 13-year-old girl yesterday evening after a drive-by shooting interrupted what was by all accounts a peaceful block party.
The slaying occurred on the corner of Rossell Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard shortly before 7 p.m., police said, marking the city's ninth homicide this year.
Neighbors had gathered at Ros sell Avenue for a campaign block party hosted by North Ward city council candidate Divine Allah when a car passed by "and sprayed the area with bullets," said Capt. Joe Juniak, adding that police could not confirm whether the shooting was related to the block party.
Police said the girl was shot in the back and rushed to Capital Health at Fuld, where she was pronounced dead shortly after.
As of last night, police said they had no suspect descriptions and did not know how many shooters were involved, but were searching for a green, four-door sedan, possibly a Ford Taurus, believed to be linked to the homicide.
Police were also investigating whether the shooting was connected to a similar incident on Saturday night, when a call came for a car with its windshield shot out at the same location, Juniak said.
At the scene, yellow police tape sealed off more than a half block of MLK Boulevard, where more than a dozen bullet casings were scat tered in the street.
"It was automatic gunfire, definitely automatic gunfire," Juniak said. "And now we've got a 13-year-old girl that's dead."
Members of the police department expressed anger and sorrow last night, and vowed to find the suspects responsible for the girl's death.
"We're not going to stand for these cowardly acts," said Police Director Irving Bradley Jr., who called the shooting "a real tragedy."
"No stone will be left unturned to find the people who did this," said police spokesman Sgt. Pedro Medina.
Neighbors and partygoers joined police in decrying the senseless violence, saying everyone, especially the dozens of children in attendance, were enjoying themselves at the party when shots rang out.
"It was a nice, peaceful cookout. Everybody was minding their own business. Next thing you know, pow, pow, pow," said Linda Terry, who was at the party when the shots were fired. "All I saw was the cement when I dropped to the ground."
"We just knew we were having a good time until they started shooting," said another woman. "Wasn't anybody fighting or anything. The kids were just having a good time. They were just having a beautiful time."
The party was held as a "Meet Your Candidate" function for Allah, the national youth minister for the New Black Panther Party and a city council candidate for 2010.
The event was supposed to run from 12 to 8 p.m., according to an event flier, which promised "a day of community, family, food, fun and EduTainment."
"My condolences go to the family," Allah said. "This is a very unfortunate situation."
For many neighbors, the homicide brought back memories of Ta jahnique Lee, the 8-year-old shot in the face three years ago when caught in the middle of gang crossfire.
"When I was growing up, you could just sit on the block," said one woman who identified herself only as Brandy.
Looking out at the squad cars, the yellow crime scene tape and the orange cones marking the loca tion of bullet casings, she sighed.
"How did anybody know the devil was going to be riding here today?" she asked.
Staff Writer Alex Zdan contributed to this story.
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