Trenton gunman fires into car with family, hitting 4-year-old girl in head

TRENTON — A 4-year-old girl and her father were injured when someone shot at their car on Friday night.

Police said a man dressed in all black fired several rounds into a red sedan as it traveled on Perry Street just two blocks from the Trenton Fire Department.

The driver, a 34-year-old man, was shot several times in the torso and arm while a 30-year-old woman was hit in the upper shoulder. The 4-year-old was grazed in the head while an 8-year-old boy was not injured.

Police did not disclose a motive for the shooting.

Mayor Reed Gusciora, who visited the victim on Friday, identified them as a family who had been returning from a birthday party.

Police on Monday morning did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's request for an update on the shooting.

Gusciora is concerned that recent shootings in Trenton could foreshadow a violent summer. There have been seven homicides in Trenton this year, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office, including a death this year from someone who was recovering from being shot in 2018. There were a record 40 homicides in Trenton in 2020.

"This gun violence needs to end and it’s unfortunate that it’s becoming a daily occurrence in cities across this nation. I am asking [Police] Director Sheilah Coley to place every available resource on the streets to prevent a further escalation of violence this summer," Gusciora said.

Police asked anyone with information about Friday's shooting to call the department's anonymous tip line at 609-989-DRUG (3784).

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ