The six-shot shoot-out in Jersey City seems to have been a targeted attack on a Jewish shop. This was announced by the mayor of the affected city, Steven Fulop.
"Last night, after a full review of our surveillance camera footage, it became clear that these two people were after the kosher grocery," Fulop wrote on Twitter.
The Kosher grocery location on MLK Dr - the 2 JCPD officers were most likely to have their say
- Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) December 11, 2019According to TV channel NBC, Fulop said that the suspects drove slowly down the street in a van on Tuesday and stopped in front of the store heavily armed. They would then have opened the fire directly.
James Shea of the local public safety agency added that many more people were on the street, but only the shop had been attacked. "That was clearly their goal, and they wanted to do harm to the people in there."
As a result, fell according to official presentation of several shots. Two patrolmen had prevented the two alleged perpetrators from leaving the store and possibly attacking other civilians. After a heavy firefight, one of the police officers and the two alleged perpetrators were reportedly dead by three civilians.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP
Scene like in a war zone: armored special forces in Jersey City
The New York Times, citing investigators, reported that one of the suspects on the Internet had spread anti-Semitic and anti-police messages. Corresponding investigations are still in progress. The new findings contradict first preliminary results from Tuesday, after which the bloody deed developed from a murder investigation in a nearby cemetery.
"There was never room for hatred and anti-Semitism in Jersey City."
According to Police Chief Michael Kelly, it took more than four hours for the situation to resolve. There were loud shots on video circulating on the Internet and helicopters circling the city. Witnesses reported recurring firefights. Large numbers of police cordoned off the streets and brought people to safety. On the spot, FBI officials and special forces were also seen. Adjacent schools were secured and a curfew imposed.
"There has never been room for hatred and anti-Semitism in Jersey City and there will never be room for it," Mayor Fulop said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences on behalf of the Israeli people to the families of the victims. US President Donald Trump called the shooting on Twitter "dreadful" on Tuesday.
According to Mayor Fulop, there have been no other "credible threats" in Jersey City. Nevertheless, the police presence is initially increased for security reasons. Jersey City is just a few miles west of New York and is separated from Manhattan by the Hudson River.
