Investigators were examining a sprawling crime scene Tuesday after gunfire struck five people during a Monday night candlelight vigil.
ELIZABETH, NJ — One person was killed and four others were wounded when gunfire erupted during a candlelight vigil Monday night in Elizabeth, prompting a large police response and an investigation that continued into Tuesday, authorities said.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office said police responded around 9:30 p.m. to the area of Irvington Avenue and Elmwood Place. Five shooting victims were found, according to information released through local news reports citing the prosecutor’s office. Authorities had not publicly identified the person who died or the four people who were wounded as of Tuesday afternoon.
The shooting occurred while people were gathered for a candlelight vigil. CBS News New York reported that a neighborhood resident said the gathering was being held in memory of a man who had been fatally shot in the area about seven years earlier. Authorities had not announced whether the vigil or the earlier killing had any connection to the motive for Monday night’s gunfire.
Investigators spent hours examining an area that stretched for several blocks. Television footage showed numerous evidence markers along the street as police processed the scene. CBS News New York reported that investigators were collecting shell casings Tuesday morning and that some nearby property appeared to have been struck by gunfire. Authorities had not released a count of the shots fired or identified the type of firearm involved.
The investigation also extended beyond the immediate shooting scene. ABC7 reported that officials said a red sedan was seen leaving the area and traveling westbound on Morris Avenue. About an hour later, a red sedan was found burning on Hobson Street in Newark. Investigators were working to determine whether the vehicle found in Newark was connected to the Elizabeth shooting.
ABC7 also reported Tuesday afternoon that two people of interest had been identified, but no arrests had been made. The station reported that investigators found a gun on one of the shooting victims. Authorities had not publicly explained the significance of that weapon or said whether it had been fired during the incident.
Early accounts differed on some details of the shooting, including the precise location of the gathering and the number of people initially believed to have been wounded. Later reporting citing the Union County Prosecutor’s Office placed the confirmed toll at five people shot, with one dead and four injured. Officials had not released the surviving victims’ conditions or other identifying information.
No motive had been announced, and authorities had not publicly identified a suspected shooter as of Tuesday afternoon. Elizabeth police referred questions about the case to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, which was overseeing the investigation. The shooting remained under investigation, with authorities continuing to examine evidence from the scene and the possible connection to the vehicle found burning in Newark.
Author note: Last updated October 27, 2026.