Crime
Irvington High School Football Player 16-year-old Ziad Cook Killed in Newark Shooting
Newark, NJ – A tragic shooting in Newark’s West Ward on Thursday evening claimed the life of a 16-year-old student and left another teenager critically injured, according to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
The incident occurred around 6:00 p.m. in the 200 block of Brookdale Avenue, near 227 Brookdale, where responding officers found two teenage males suffering from gunshot wounds.
Both victims were transported to University Hospital for emergency treatment.
One of the victims, later identified as 16-year-old Ziad Cook, was pronounced dead at 9:19 p.m.
The second victim, a 17-year-old male, remains hospitalized in critical condition.
Authorities confirmed that Cook was a student at Irvington High School and a member of the school’s football team.
His death has sent shockwaves through the school community, prompting an outpouring of grief and support.
Grief counselors have been made available to students and staff to help cope with the sudden loss.
Ziad Cook was described by faculty and peers as a focused, respectful, and hardworking student-athlete, dedicated both to his education and to his performance on the field.
His loss is being deeply felt by classmates, teachers, and teammates alike.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force is leading the investigation.
As of Friday, no arrests have been made, and investigators have not released a possible motive for the shooting.
Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward and contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tip line or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.