Sketch Released of Mission Street Gunman

A sketch of a man wanted for the Mission Street shooting that left four wounded last month was released Thursday by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

The Essex County Crime Stoppers is also offering a $5,000 reward for information that helps solve the case, according to the prosecutor's office.


The masked shooter was previously described as a slim black man about 6-feet tall who opened fire during the early-morning hours of Aug. 6, seriously wounding an 18-year-old woman and injuring three others.

Naji Love, 18, was shot in the chest and seriously injured. Montclair residents Terill Vaxter, 20, and Timear Haley, 18, and a 17-year-old from Newark were also wounded.

According to police, Love and and Vaxter were also targets in a July drive-by shooting on Elmwood Avenue. Neither were injured in that incident.

Lt. Angel Roman said last month the shooter's mask described in both incidents was similar.

The Mission Street shooting was the fifth in three months and shook the neighborhood, prompting officials to increase police patrols and safety measures in the area.

A 35-foot watchtower was one of the measures taken as officials focused on ending the violent spree in the Fourth Ward.

Anyone with information on the Mission Street shooting can contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Major Crimes Task force at 977-847-7432 or the Montclair Police Department at 973-744-1234.