Only 10 arrests after 19 killed and 112 wounded in NJ mass shootings since 2022

An analysis of state incident data from the Gun Violence Archive reveals a widening gap between the toll of mass shootings in New Jersey and the number of suspects brought to justice, with 19 people killed and 112 wounded in 27 such events since November 2022, while only 10 total suspects have been arrested.

In 22 of the 27 shootings, authorities made no arrests at all, according to the data. In none of the incidents were the suspects killed or injured, suggesting perpetrators fled the scenes in the vast majority of cases.

The figures underscore what advocates describe as a growing crisis of accountability in New Jersey’s cities, where gun violence continues to outpace investigative outcomes.

Year-by-year tallies show the violence has persisted across the state, with the highest number of victims recorded so far in 2026. This year, five mass shootings have left six people dead and 29 others wounded, but only two arrests have been made.

In 2025, five mass shootings killed five people and injured 17, resulting in six arrests — the highest annual total for apprehensions. Those arrests, however, were concentrated in just two incidents: one in Newark in November that left three dead and two wounded, and another in Trenton in June that killed one and injured three. The remaining three shootings in 2025 yielded no arrests.

The 2024 data shows a single arrest made in connection with one of three mass shootings, which collectively killed one person and wounded 11.

The year 2023 saw the highest number of incidents, with 12 mass shootings killing seven people and wounding 47. Despite the severity and frequency of the violence, only one arrest was recorded that year. Two mass shootings in November 2022 wounded eight people, with no arrests.

The cities of Trenton, Paterson and Newark accounted for the majority of the incidents. Trenton recorded 10 shootings, Paterson had six, and Newark saw five, with additional shootings in Jersey City, Union, East Orange, Verona and Clifton.

The disparity between casualties and arrests has drawn scrutiny from criminal justice observers, who point to challenges including witness cooperation, surveillance gaps and the transient nature of suspects involved in urban gun violence.

Law enforcement agencies have not publicly explained the clearance rates for these specific cases. The New Jersey State Police and local prosecutors’ offices have not released detailed data on the investigative status of the shootings.

Advocates for stricter gun controls and enhanced community policing have called for increased resources to solve these cases, arguing that the low arrest rate undermines deterrence and leaves communities without closure.

“When you have 112 people wounded or killed in these mass shooting events, and only 10 arrests across four years, it sends a message that there are few consequences for this level of violence,” said a representative of a statewide gun violence prevention coalition, speaking generally about the data trends.

The data also highlights a troubling trajectory in 2026, where the number of injured victims has already reached 29 — nearly double the total for all of 2025 — while arrests remain stagnant.

The incidents ranged in scale from shootings that wounded four people to the deadliest event on record in the data: a November 2025 shooting in Newark that killed three and wounded two, which also resulted in the largest number of arrests in a single incident, with four suspects taken into custody.

Despite that case, the overall clearance rate — measured by arrests relative to incidents — remains low. With only five of the 27 incidents yielding at least one arrest, more than 80% of the mass shootings documented in the data have resulted in no known apprehended suspects.

Authorities have not indicated whether any of the 10 arrested individuals have been convicted, and the data does not reflect pending charges or ongoing investigations.