Overview
- Two people on a moped or in a vehicle drove past a group on Wilkinson Avenue and threw what police believe was sulfuric acid at them, an attack that took place Monday night and wounded multiple people.
- Six victims were hospitalized with non-life-threatening skin burns and peeling, three of them teenagers, and one 21-year-old was transferred to a burn unit for treatment of second-degree burns to her face and scalp.
- Jersey City police say the assault appears targeted and may be linked to an earlier daytime dispute, and investigators have launched an active probe with a juvenile taken into custody while at least one suspect remains sought.
- First responders deployed HAZMAT teams to decontaminate the scene and determine the chemical involved, underscoring the unusual medical and public-safety challenges corrosive attacks create for emergency crews and hospitals.
- City leaders condemned the attack and ordered full investigative resources, and neighbors described shock and concern about safety on the block as police continue to seek additional suspects and pursue charges.