Police are looking for leads in an arson that was set to cover up a shooting that left three people dead and two injured in Newark Saturday.
Authorities responded to the three-alarm fire at 546 Sanford Ave. about 4:30 a.m. where they found the bodies of 42-year-old tenant Sandra Bellush, 15-year-old Brielle Simpkins, of Elizabeth, and 19-year-old Eric Jackson, of Newark, in a second-floor apartment. They were shot multiple times. Firefighters also found a 17-year-old boy and 20-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were taken to the hospital in serious condition.
Police believe the victims may have know their assailants, but investigators do not have any suspects in the case.
Simpkins? grandfather, Harry James, says the teen was about to start school and be a cheerleader. While he is mourning her loss, neighbors say the violent incident highlights the common problem of crime plaguing their streets.