DEADLY DRIVE-BY
One female dead, two males injured after daylight shooting in Trenton
TRENTON >> The crime scene was so fresh, detectives had not yet placed evidence placards throughout the area. But the number of bullet holes in the driver’s side of a Nissan minivan provided enough proof that tragedy had once again struck the capital city.
A woman identified as 22-year-old Manei Glover was killed Thursday afternoon and two men were injured in what appears to be a drive-by shooting. Police believe the victims were sitting in the minivan near the intersection of a notorious crime hotspot at the time of the incident.
Sources say Glover was shot at least once in the head. One male suffered a gunshot wound to his neck and the other male victim was struck in the buttocks. The severity of the males’ injuries are not known at this time.
“It’s absolutely insane when you actually hear the shots and the people screaming and crying saying, ‘She’s dead, she’s dead,’” a resident posted on Facebook after news of the shooting spread throughout the city. “It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Sources say approximately 10 to 15 rounds were fired from a vehicle as it drove through the 100 block of North Hermitage Avenue around 1:45 p.m.
The aforementioned minivan was parked at the corner of North Hermitage and Boudinot Street while police processed the crime scene; the driver’s side window was shattered, presumably by gunfire.
A handicapped parking placard hung from the minivan’s rear view mirror. A cane lied on the ground in a pile of shattered glass next to the vehicle.
“It’s very difficult for us because we’re patrolling so many different areas,” Police Director Ernest Parrey Jr. said at the crime scene as detectives snapped photos of the havoc behind him. “If I had a crystal ball, I’d know where to be at every moment. But we’re just trying to stay ahead of the violence with our directed patrols and the assistance we receive from outside agencies. We’re trying to keep things manageable.”
The silence throughout the neighborhood after the shooting was a stark contrast to what one witness described as a rapid succession of gunfire. Dozens of residents watched police process the scene Thursday, but the majority of them declined to speak to press or cops in front of others who may have been watching out for “snitches.”
Director Parrey said it takes a village to rein crime in the city’s neighborhoods.
“When they see something, they need to let us know,” Parrey said. “We rely on the community. We don’t want to put them in harm’s way. So, any information they may have can be sent to us via My Block, which they can use anonymously.”
City council president and West Ward Councilman Zachary Chester echoed Parrey’s statements regarding the importance of residents reporting crime to police. But he also believes cops need to patrol the West Ward on a more regular basis. The councilman said he plans to speak with the mayor and Parrey regarding plans to deter crime this summer.
“We know where the troubled areas are,” Chester said. “So, we have to put our resources — and when I say resources, I mean our officers — in those areas where we know we have problems. And I’m not talking about foot patrols; I’m talking about a visible presence where cops are riding through these areas. Maybe a part of our strategy should be to just have a cop sit on the trouble blocks. I’m not a police officer, I’m an elected official. But something has to be done.”
As of press time, police have not disclosed a suspected motive for the killing.
“We have factions that are at war with one another, but right now we’re still chasing leads trying to piece together exactly what happened out here,” Parrey said.
Chester said residents can call his cellphone if they are not comfortable talking to police about this particular murder or crime in general.
“If they don’t want to share it with the police department, they can call me at 609-310-1414 and I’ll share the information with police,” Chester said. “The cowards that did this will be caught and prosecuted.”