Trenton mayor emphasizes curfew after fight turned deadly shooting erupts outside bar
TRENTON, N.J. - On the outside of the UrbanPromise Trenton building is a mural with a strong message that says ‘Peace in the streets’, words the youth advocacy group takes seriously.
"I think it’s very important for the community in Trenton to have a group like us to give kids a place to come, a safe space, a place to learn, a place to get new experiences and see life beyond what they see the norm around them," said Sean McFadden, the Executive Director of UrbanPromise Trenton.
Sadly the norm made its appearance less than 500 feet from the center over the weekend.
200 people fight as deadly shooting erupts outside NJ bar: police
Three people were struck by gunfire, one fatally, when police say hundreds of people caused chaos in Trenton overnight.
Officers responded to Regal 1 Bar to find approximately 200 people fighting on N Clinton Avenue just after 2 a.m. Sunday.
Minutes later, two separate shootings erupted outside the bar.
Three shooting victims were found, including 20-year-old Dwayne Penix, who was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Two other male victims were said to be in stable condition. Their ages have not been released.
"It saddens my heart that these things are happening in our community. As UrbanPromise we try to strengthen the community, through community building and education and building our kids up. For something to happen so close to home is very unfortunate because we are trying to help strengthen the community together and not have these things happen in our area," said McFadden.
Many people in the area told us off camera that the Regal 1 Bar has been a major problem in the area.
FOX29 did go inside the bar and speak with the owner, who declined to make any comment on camera about the incident.
As for the Mayor of Trenton, he was very vocal.
"It’s just a horrible loss and a disruption to the lives of the community," said Reed Gusciora, the Mayor of Trenton.
The mayor says he’s already been in contact with the owner of Regal 1 Bar about making some changes, including better security.
He is also planning for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Division to evaluate the business.
The mayor is hoping these steps will prevent this type of incident from happening again.
"We are going to be vigilant, especially in the summer. We want people to observe the curfew but to stay peaceful and put the guns down," said Mayor Gusciora.
The curfew in Trenton is 11 p.m. for those 18-years-old and under, which they are hoping that will help protect the youth.
As for this situation, out of the hundreds of people fighting that night, there is no word on how many were under the age of 18-years-old.