6 Dead in Hourslong Shooting in Jersey City’s Tiny Jewish Neighborhood

Jersey City – An hourslong shootout in the tiny frum enclave in Jersey City appears to have just ended, with a police officer, and four Jewish residents and the two gunmen dead Tuesday afternoon, after dozens of heavily armed police units battling the gunmen who were holed up inside the local kosher supermarket.

The harrowing incident began at about 12:30 in the afternoon, when an apparent police operation went bad. Police were questioning a man and a woman about a murder when the two black-clad suspects opened fire at the police and killed one of the officers. They then escaped in a U-Haul van and ran into JC Kosher Supermarket, located at 223 MLK Drive, with the male killer carrying a long gun.

The pair began shooting up the police and firing at all passersby. One police officer was critically injured after being shot in the head and at least two others wounded. Four people inside the store were reported killed, the owner and three customers.
The situation is still fluid and details are murky. A row of heavily armed SWAT teams had been surrounding the supermarket building, which houses the local shul and cheder with 40 children on its second floor. The children, who belong to the local Satmar kehilla, were escorted outside and are all safe.

Long bursts of gunfire are heard sporadically in an exchange between police and the gunmen. The U-Haul van, which is parked outside, was found to be hot to the touch, leading to concern it may contain a bomb. A sweep found a pipe bomb inside.
One of the suspects was rumored to have escaped and taken shelter in a nearby school, prompting the evacuation of all public schools in the city. But Steve Fulop, the mayor of the city across the Hudson River from Manhattan, tweeted that all children are accounted for and are safe.

President Trump has been briefed on the shooting, the White House said on Twitter.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women of the Jersey City police department, especially with the officers shot during this standoff, and with the residents and schoolchildren currently under lockdown,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. “I have every confidence in our law enforcement professionals to ensure the safety of the community and resolve this situation.”
Neighboring municipalities, including the NYPD, offered aid. New York City sent over several tactical teams.