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A2 UP FRONT
Wednesday 11 december 2019
6 killed in New Jersey gunbattle, including police officer

Continued from Front apparently happened to
be in the place when the
The shooting then contin- assailants rushed in, au-
ued at a kosher supermar- thorities said. Police said
ket about a mile away, they were confident that
where five more bodies all those killed were shot
were found, Kelly said. by the gunmen and not by
“It’s a really tough day for police. The kosher grocery
the city of Jersey City,” is a central fixture in a grow-
Mayor Steven Fulop said. ing community of Orthodox
Seals “was one of the best Jews who have been mov-
officers for getting the most ing to Jersey City in recent
guns off the streets. He was years. Authorities were un-
a good cop.” Two other of- able to say why the gun-
ficers were wounded but men went there.
were later released from City Public Safety Director
the hospital, authorities James Shea said that au-
said. The bullets started fly- thorities believe the blood-
ing early in the afternoon shed was not an act of
in the city of about 270,000 terrorism but that it was still Bystanders look out from a store as law enforcement arrives at the scene following reports of
people, situated across the under investigation. gunfire, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019, in Jersey City, N.J.
Hudson River from New York The shooting spread fear Associated Press
City. Seals, who worked for through the neighborhood,
a unit called Cease Fire, and the nearby Sacred phones, some whooping sey City Police Department back inside from the play-
was shot around 12:30 p.m. Heart School was put on when bursts of fire could be since 2006. In addition to ground at Sacred Heart,
The gunmen then traveled lockdown as a precaution. heard. his work with the illegal which sits across the street
to another part of the city SWAT teams, state police Video shot by residents guns unit, he was cited for from the grocery store,
in a stolen rental van and and federal agents con- recorded loud volleys of heroism in a Christmas Eve when he heard the shots.
engaged police in a pro- verged on the scene, and gunfire reverberating along 2008 incident in which he At first he thought they
tracted shootout. police blocked off the one of the city’s main and another officer burst were thunder, since it had
“Our officers were under fire area, which in addition to streets and showed a long through the window of rained earlier. “Everybody
for hours,” the chief said. the school and supermar- line of law enforcement of- a home and stopped a was running up the stairs to
Inside the grocery store, ket included a hair salon ficers pointing guns as they sexual assault that was be- get to safety in the class-
police found the bodies of and other shops. Dozens of advanced, yelling to by- ing carried out against a room,” he said. “A few of
what they were believed bystanders pressed against standers, “Clear the street! 41-year-old woman. the kids were crying. They
were the two gunmen and the police barrier to cap- Get out of the way!” Seventh grader Zamir Butler told us to stay behind the
three other people who ture the action on their cell- Seals had been on the Jer- said his class was coming wall and stay down.”q