(04/22/08) NEWARK - Three people were shot Tuesday morning along Newark's Bloomfield Avenue, just hours after two men were shot and killed in New Jersey's largest city. A woman and man were struck in the face during the shooting, which took place shortly before 11 a.m., said Police Director Garry McCarthy. A second man was struck in the leg and has been released from University Hospital in Newark. McCarthy said the two people shot in the face did not suffer life-threatening injuries and were in stable condition. Police said a total of six shots were fired during the shooting. No motive or relationship between the victims has been established. McCarthy said two of the victims were shot while walking on a sidewalk; the third was coming out of a store nearby. McCarthy would not say how many suspects police were looking for or whether the shootings were believed to be random. Jason Colon of Kearny said he was driving west on Bloomfield Avenue at about 11 a.m. when he said he heard gunshots, followed by a chaotic scene as people ran across the busy street through traffic. "Everybody was screaming, 'They've got a gun, they've got a gun,"' Colon said. "Then I saw two guys running away." The shootings occurred in front of a row of stores that includes a hair salon and coin-operated laundry. The businesses are next to a bank. Police said they were inquiring about the bank's outdoor surveillance cameras, which point in the direction of the shootings. The street, one of Newark's major east-west arteries, was closed while police investigated. Also Tuesday, police responded to shots fired at 205 West Runyon Street. They say they found a gun, but no victim or shooter. However, they did stop the driver of a Hummer who was driving the wrong way. They are not sure, if the driver, rapper Treach MC from Naughty by Nature, was the target.

Treach MC, whose real name is Anthony Kriss, was wearing a bulletproof vest, police say. He was held for questioning and released with a ticket for driving with an expired license.

Tuesday morning's shooting followed a string of shootings in the city in the past several days. Two men were shot and killed Monday night. The victims - both 18 years old - were found less than a half mile from each other. Police have not determined a motive for the shootings, but McCarthy said police were investigating the possibility that the two victims shot each other. Earlier this year, Newark enjoyed a 43-day stretch with no homicides, the first time that had happened in more than 40 years. There were nearly 100 murders in New Jersey's largest city last year, about 50 percent more than in 2002.

2 killed in Newark shootings