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Trenton arts festival shooting: What we know

One man was shot dead by by police and 22 people were injured when an all-night art festival in an historic former factory building became the scene of what officials called a gang-related shooting.

Police stand near an industrial area outside the warehouse building where the Art All Night Trenton 2018 festival was the scene of a shooting that resulted in numerous injuries and at least one death Sunday, June 17, 2018, in Trenton, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)
Police stand near an industrial area outside the warehouse building where the Art All Night Trenton 2018 festival was the scene of a shooting that resulted in numerous injuries and at least one death Sunday, June 17, 2018, in Trenton, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)Read more

Just as police were shutting down an all-night arts festival in an historic former factory building in Trenton's Chambersburg section due to escalating tensions early Sunday, gunfire erupted, leaving one man dead, 17 people wounded by gunfire and five others with injuries suffered in the stampede to escape. Here's the latest of what we know.

• Officials said the shooting apparently stemmed from a dispute involving neighborhood gangs.

• The dead man has been identified as Tahaij Wells. 33. Officials said he was one of the gunman and was killed by police. Wells had been on parole since February, after having served time in prison for a fatal 2002 shooting he committed when he was 17. New Jersey State Police identified Wells as a member of the 93 Gangsters' Bloods gang.

• While behind bars, Wells remained involved with the Bloods. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to racketeering charges stemming from his involvement in helping run the gang from prison. He was sentenced to six years in prison, but that term was concurrent with his 18-year sentence from the killing.

• Two other men critically wounded in Sunday's shooting have been identified as suspects and are under police guard in the hospital. Only one has been identified: Amir Armstrong, 23. He was charged with weapons offenses, including having a handgun with an extended capacity magazine. Armstrong, of North Trenton, had no prior felony convictions.

•  At least six people who had been injured during the stampede or sustained gunshots, including Armstrong and the other suspect, remained hospitalized Monday. A dozen others were released.

•  Gov. Murphy on Monday condemned the shooting and said "it could have been a lot worse and even more deadly."

• Officials say a Facebook post had warned of a shooting at the festival. "Please. Please. Please. Do Not Go to the Art All Night. They will be shooting it up," the post said, according to officials.

• About 1,000 people were in attendance at the 12th annual Art All Night Festival when gunfire erupted in and around the Roebling Wire Works Building. Police remained at the scene Monday with a large area wound the building roped off by crime scene tape.

• Before the shootings, there were several physical altercations inside and outside the venue, and police instructed organizers to shut down the event. Police had begun to disperse the crowd, though many were loitering, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said.