Roselle schools temporarily put on lockdown following reports of gunfire in the area

Officials say the shooting happened just after 12 p.m. Monday near Walnut Street.

Naomi Yané

May 20, 2024, 9:22 PM

Updated 137 days ago

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A shooting in Roselle Monday afternoon forced schools in the district to temporarily go into lockdown.
Evidence markers riddled Walnut Street following the gunfire. Neighbors told News 12 New Jersey that they heard seven or eight shots around 12:15 p.m. Parents in this community say that school lockdowns were lifted by 1 p.m.
Calvin Grimsley has lived in the neighborhood for over 50 years and heard the gunfire.
"I heard some shots coming from around the corner to my left, and then all of a sudden, I heard more shots coming in front of me over there on Sixth Avenue,” he says.
Police closed off Walnut Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues while they investigated the shooting.
Grimsley says he doesn’t believe this incident started in Roselle, but it did end there.
"It just happened in this area, but it didn’t start from this area. This was something that was driving through this area because they were chasing someone on Walnut Street,” he says.
The Union County Prosecutor’s Office released a statement on Sunday regarding a separate shooting at Warinanco Park, also in Roselle. It happened just before 8 p.m. Sunday. One man was killed in that shooting.
That man was identified as Shakir Manns. Family members tell News 12 that they had many family gatherings in Warinanco Park. They say Manns was hanging out with family members when he was killed.
"It's senseless and the person hasn't been captured yet. They can do it to somebody else if they can do it to my brother in broad daylight," says Laquia Lampley, the victim's sister.
It is unclear if there is any connection between the two shootings. It was not known if anyone was hurt in Monday’s incident.