Community gives back to the children of the Jersey City grocery store shooting victims

A little more than a week after a target-attack in Jersey City, members of the community are coming together to help out the children of the victims.

News 12 Staff

Dec 20, 2019, 3:10 AM

Updated 1,829 days ago

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A little more than a week after a target-attack in Jersey City, members of the community are coming together to help out the children of the victims.
The children of the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish Center of Hoboken spent part of Thursday wrapping gifts for the children of shooting victims Minda Ferencz and Miguel Douglas, who along with Moshe Deutsch were killed inside the JC Kosher Supermarket on Dec. 10. Jersey City Police Detective Joseph Seals was also killed in an earlier confrontation with the shooters.
"It's just so beautiful at a time of tragedy and of darkness, how the whole Jewish community and how the whole community at large come together and show support and love on such a great level,” says center director Shaindel Schapiro.
The gifts were items that the children of the victims wanted.
"For example, Amy Rodriguez, her father had promised her a laptop and a printer in order for her to be able to do her homework,” Schapiro says.
Separately Jersey City native Frank "Educational" Gilmore did his part to help the victims. The former drug dealer-turned education advocate was invited on the Ellen Show to share his story. That segment was supposed to air on the day of the shooting. Gilmore took students from the eight schools nearest to the shooting and went on a $10,000-shopping spree.
"Some kids bought Apple watches, some kids bought PlayStations, some kids bought food, some kids bought clothes,” says Gilmore. “This was just a good gesture to pay forward just to see people happy during a time in need."
Gilmore also took the children of the victims shopping as well.
“Just love one another, respect one another just be great on purpose. That's the best message I want to give, be great on purpose,” Gilmore says.
Officials say that the two shooters were motivated by anti-Semitism and a hatred for law enforcement. They were killed during a standoff with police after the attack.