Officer, ‘multiple’ civilians dead after massive gun battle breaks out in New Jersey

ABC News(JERSEY CITY, N.J.) — A New Jersey police officer was shot by two suspects who had been firing from a local bodega, police said on Tuesday.

A New Jersey police officer and “multiple” civilians have died after a gun battle was prompted by what is believed to have been a drug deal gone bad in Jersey City.

The officer was shot at the Bay View Cemetery while responding to a call of two suspects near a Jewish supermarket at Wilkinson Avenue and Martin Luther King Dr. in Jersey City, police said.

When the officer arrived to the scene, the suspects opened fire with long guns, police said.

The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the officer later died after he was transported to the hospital for treated. An unknown amount of others inside the supermarket were also killed, officials said.

At least one suspect then retreated to the supermarket and allegedly continued to fire at responding officers. Two other police officers were also struck by gunfire, but they are stable.

After the other officers retreated, the suspects remained barricaded inside the store, police said. Both suspects are believed to be down inside the store, but police have sent in a robot to make sure.

There are “multiple” people who are dead inside the building. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop told reporters in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. One civilian was injured, police said.

Several SWAT officers on the scene were seen barricading behind cars as several gunshots went off in the neighborhood, video shows.

The heavy gunfire continued for more than an hour.

The officer who died was taken to a local hospital with an apparent gunshot wound to his shoulder, police said.

Nearby schools have been placed on lockdown, according to New Jersey School District. All students are accounted for.

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that the situaton “remains fluid.”

“Please keep the officers of the Jersey City Police Department in your thoughts and prayers as they work to resolve the situation,” Grewal said. “We remain, as always, extraordinarily grateful for their service and their sacrifice.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has been briefed on the shootout, he said in a statement.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women of the Jersey City Police Department, especially with the officers shot during this standoff, and with the residents and schoolchildren currently under lockdown,” Murphy said.

President Donald Trump is also monitoring the situation, according to the White House.

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