2 people killed in Trenton, New Jersey, shooting identified

Two people are dead and eight others wounded after a shooting in Trenton, New Jersey, early Sunday morning, police say.

The shooting happened on the 100 block of Locust Street in the Wilbur section of East Trenton around 12:25 a.m., Trenton police said.

At the scene, officers found several victims with gunshot wounds, police said.

A 33-year-old Tyasiah West and a 42-year-old Anthony Howlett died from their injuries. Eight other victims — two men and six women ranging in age from 23 to 43 — were treated for their injuries and have been stabilized, according to the prosecutor.

The investigation so far suggests multiple people walked up to a block party and started firing into a crowd of about 100 people. More than 50 spent shell casings were found at the scene, and multiple vehicles were struck by gunfire, the prosecutor's statement said.

The shooting happened at a "large, unauthorized adult gathering involving hundreds of people on a residential street," Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora said in a statement posted on Facebook . Officials plan to take steps to prevent gatherings like this and speak with neighbors in the city's Wilbur section.

"People should not be having unauthorized parties," Gusciora said. "I can understand if they wanted to have a block party. They need to involve the police."

Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson said officers were already at the gathering because there were reports of a big crowd.

But some neighbors question why the gathering wasn't shut down earlier.

"I know for a fact when I was sitting out, two police cars rolled down the street like they were visiting somebody," a woman who wanted to remain anonymous said. "Just rolled right past the crowd."

Wilson said that when police are "significantly outnumbered," officers have to wait for help to get to the scene.

Gusciora also encouraged anyone who has information or videos related to the shooting to contact law enforcement.

One of the people who died was trying to turn his life around after being incarcerated and was recently recognized for his commitment to positive change, the mayor said.

"He was a community guy," an anonymous woman said. "He was the guy that helped with the youth. He was the guy that helped with talking to kids."