City officials said police knew a crowd was forming before gunfire erupted at the Locust Street block party.
TRENTON, N.J. — A deadly shooting at a large unauthorized block party is prompting questions about how the gathering was handled before multiple gunmen opened fire, killing two people and wounding eight others early Sunday in a residential section of Trenton.
Police were called to the 100 block of Locust Street shortly after 12:20 a.m. Aug. 30, where authorities said multiple suspects approached a crowd and began firing. A 33-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man were killed, while eight other adults were wounded and later stabilized, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora described the event as a large, unauthorized adult gathering on a residential street. City officials gave estimates reaching into the hundreds for the number of people present, while prosecutors said about 100 people were attending the block party when the shooting occurred. The gathering had not gone through the city’s normal authorization process for a large street event, officials said.
Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson said officers were aware that a crowd was forming and had been sent to give the area extra attention before the shooting. He said police typically shut down large gatherings that have not been registered, but that did not happen before the gunfire erupted on Locust Street. Wilson said the circumstances surrounding the police response would be examined as part of the continuing review.
Officials said large organized gatherings can require arrangements such as street closures and security. The Locust Street event did not have that authorization, according to the mayor. Gusciora said the issue was not simply that residents had gathered but that a large crowd had occupied a residential street without the planning normally associated with an event of that size.
The shooting itself left evidence spread across an entire city block. Investigators recovered more than 50 spent shell casings, and several vehicles were struck by gunfire, according to the prosecutor’s office. The preliminary investigation found that multiple suspects walked up to the party and fired into the crowd. Authorities had not announced arrests or a suspected motive by Monday.
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office later placed the number of people shot at 10, including the two people killed and eight survivors. That count differed from initial information released by city officials, which said 11 people had been struck. The prosecutor’s figure became the later official count cited by several local news organizations.
Gusciora said the city planned to deploy community outreach teams in the neighborhood following the shooting. He said the effort would include speaking with residents, seeking information about what happened and working to prevent further violence. Officials also said multiple law enforcement agencies provided assistance after the shooting as police worked to secure the area and manage the large scene.
The shooting also focused attention on one of the people who died. Gusciora said the male victim had returned to the community after incarceration and had recently been recognized for his efforts toward reentry and positive change. Authorities had not publicly released his identity in the latest information reviewed Monday.
Investigators were continuing to review surveillance footage and locate witnesses who may have seen the shooters or recorded events surrounding the attack. Officials had not said whether police officers were at the exact shooting location when the first shots were fired, and Wilson indicated that question still needed to be confirmed.
The Mercer County Homicide Task Force remained in charge of the investigation Monday. Along with identifying and locating the gunmen, authorities were continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the gathering and the police response before the shooting. No arrests had been announced.
Author note: Last updated August 31, 2026.