Community mourns Irvington teen killed in Newark as search for gunman continues
Ziyad Cook, 16, was fatally shot in Newark last week. Another teen was injured in the shooting.
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The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is searching for the gunman responsible for killing a teenager in Newark last Thursday evening.
On Monday, a community in Irvington remembered 16-year-old Ziyad Cook at Irvington High School.
Cook and a 17-year-old were reportedly injured in Thursday's shooting, which happened near the 200 block of Brookdale Avenue in Newark around 6 p.m. Cook was later pronounced dead at University Hospital.
Balloons were released on Monday showing school colors and Cook's uniform number. Family and friends say he'll be remembered as a star football player, honors student, brother, son, teammate and a great friend.
"If you knew him, you loved him instantly," said Cook's mother, Ranessha Bell. "I'll never, never get over this terrible loss."
Bell says her son was a rising senior on his way to college.
"I feel thankful to have been his mother for 16 years. It's just a roller coaster of emotions," said Bell. "It doesn't matter if you try to keep your kids away from danger or out of the streets, because you could have an innocent child like mine get hurt or killed because of foolishness."
"Ziyad was not just a remarkable athlete; he was an inspiring young man who embodied the spirit of the Irvington High School Blue Knights," said April Vauss, superintendent of Irvington Public Schools. “He was admired not only for his athletic prowess but also for his kindness and compassion towards others.”
Authorities are urging anyone who might have information about the shooting to come forward.
