Two people were shot in Newark overnight amid the city's 24 Hours of Peace event. 

Mayor Ras Baraka started the event back in 2012 after a wave of brutal crime swept across the city. 

This year, it moved downtown for the first time and was held on Broad and Market streets.

The event has so far failed to live up to its name, as several shootings across the city have left two people dead. 

Authorities say a 24-year-old man from Irvington died and a 27-year-old woman was left in critical condition after a shooting on Willoughby Street. A 19-year-old man was also shot and killed just six blocks away on Schuler Avenue.

News 12 New Jersey is told five people were shot in total overnight.

Two people were also killed during last year's 24 Hours of Peace event.

Steven Hatcher, a representative from the People's Organization for Progress, says it is time to put an end to the violence in Newark and those who want to break the law will hopefully see this event and change their ways.

"If I put myself in their position if I was a drug dealer or gang banger and if I see this going on, I would start to think twice. Maybe there's another way of looking at life," he says.

Newark's 24 Hours of Peace featured live music, food and other community events. 

Organizers say rapper Snoop Dogg hoped to be in attendance, but scheduling conflicts kept him away.

Snoop Dogg pledged his support for the event in an online video.