Newark Mayor calls for public aid in solving vigil shooting of 4

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The mayor of Newark is calling on the public to come forward to help solve the shooting that wounded four girls and women, one critically, during a candlelight vigil in the New Jersey city.

Newark police said the victims, who range in age from 16 to 20, were shot at about 9 p.m. Saturday at a vigil near the scene of a double fatal crash.

Mayor Ras Baraka also announced a reward for information about what he called "a cowardly act of hatred that pierced the hearts of all in our community."

"We are aggressively investigating this senseless act of violence and ask anyone with information about the incident to come forward and to report what they know to the police," Baraka said in a statement Sunday.

The Essex County sheriff's Crime Stoppers program is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved, he said.

Baraka called for the city "not to turn our pain and anger inward, but to love our community harder and work to bring the shooter to justice."

The vigil was held near the spot where a stolen sport utility vehicle crashed into a home Friday, causing structural damage and prompting evacuation of the occupants.

Quadre Robinson, 17, and Quayim Battle, 19, were found dead in the SUV, which had been reported stolen in Elizabeth, New Jersey, police said.