Police: Teenager wounded in shooting outside popular Hoboken athletic field

A teenager was shot and wounded Monday evening outside a popular athletic field in Hoboken, according to police.

News 12 Staff

Jun 7, 2022, 8:47 PM

Updated 857 days ago

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A teenager was shot and wounded Monday evening outside a popular athletic field in Hoboken, according to police.
Police say the shooting happened around 9:15 p.m. near Mama Johnson Field on Fourth and Jackson streets while a group of about 30 children between the ages of 12 and 15 was playing a flag football game. The gunfire was near the fence line.
“It’s scary. This is our second shooting where somebody was shot in the last three of four weeks,” says Hoboken resident Nicole Magana.
Magana lives near the field. The other shooting she is referring to also took place on Fourth Street.
Monday’s shooting involved a 17-year-old who was shot in the neck.
“I was a shot like three shots – boom, boom, boom – back-to-back,” Magana says. “Everyone kind of froze. All of the kids laid down.”
This field is bordered by the Hoboken Housing Authority and homes on Jackson Street. There were three Hoboken police officers in the immediate area who quickly tended to the teen's wound.
“Fortunately, that 17-year-old is home this morning. He was released from the hospital,” says Hoboken Public Safety Director Ken Ferrante.
The shooting comes on the heels of a violent weekend around New Jersey. Starting on Friday the state PBA reports that one police officer was shot in West New York, a civilian was shot in Newark, another in Jersey City and four people were shot in Paterson.
“It’s a national regional problem. Everybody needs to come together and start doing stuff to correct this. It’s too prevalent in our country and it’s affecting all types of communities,” Ferrante says.
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said in a statement, "My thoughts are with the victim and his family, who is home and recovering. I am grateful for the swift action by the Hoboken Police Department who were in the direct vicinity and responded to last night's shooting within seconds, immediately rendering aid and preventing an escalation of violence.”
But residents like Magana say they hope to see more police officers out of their cars and out on foot.
Police have not made any arrests in this shooting. Anyone who may have information should give them a call.