#ColumbiaPDSC officers are investigating a shooting incident at Riverside Apartments on Lucius Road. Columbine High School Shooting: The Full Story Behind The Tragedy He's a really good person," neighbor Janae Allen said. Moussa Fofana, 18, a junior at Maplewood's Columbia High School, was shot and killed by a stranger on June 6 while walking through the school's Underhill Sports Complex. It was like they put cold water over my whole body, she said. America endured . Our community is devastated to learn of this tragic loss of a beautiful soul. Later, Fennelly identified the student as 18-year-old CHS junior, Moussa Fofana. It was one of the deadliest school shooting incidents in American history. A witness who was with Fofana at the baseball field told detectives they were chasing someone on a bike, according to court documents in the case. First published on August 6, 2021 / 5:22 PM. ABC 17 News reporters saw a Columbia Police Department crime scene investigation van at the scene Wednesday morning and again Wednesday afternoon. After Death Of Maplewood Student, High School Offers Counseling Sword attack victim reportedly 2004 Columbia High School shooter Another student was also injured in the shooting, CBS2's Lisa Rozner reported Monday. Another CHS student was injured and hospitalized. Her son was later charged in the killing. The other 2 male victims who are at a local hospital are 18 & 17-years-old. One teenager was killed and another was injured in a shooting near a New Jersey school on Sunday night, according to Ronald Taylor, the superintendent of the South Orange & Maplewood School District. identified the student as 18-year-old CHS junior, Moussa Fofana. Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin accepted the move, reiterating that Hernandez would be detained as his case on the murder charge moved forward. Watch Maplewood Patch for more developments. Investigators have been at the scene, the Underhill Sports Complex, since late Sunday night. Prosecutors will meet again with Fofana next week to again go over the case with her and her lawyer, after the mother requested to speak with them. Students at a nearby elementary school were kept inside for recess during the day as police continued their investigation. A positive light in our world has dimmed, and our hearts are forever saddened., Meanwhile, Columbia High School Principal Frank Sanchez sent an email earlier Monday morning to teachers confirming that a few of our students were in a horrible situation last night at Underhill Field and that while authorities had not yet given specifics, it looks like a student may have died.. He never gave problems to anybody.. Now that the arrest has been made, its really important to let the criminal justice system workShe just wants to see that process do its work.. Within an hour, 18-year-old Harris and his 17-year-old partner Dylan Klebold a fellow Columbine High School student and Brown's friend since first grade were dead. Please enter valid email address to continue. Philip D. Murphy, speaking on Monday at a regular daily news briefing, called the killing another case of gun violence in our midst. Maplewood, a suburban town of about 24,000 residents, is just outside Newark and roughly 20 miles west of Times Square. "The fact that this can happen here in Maplewood, you know, it's worrisome," 10th grader Scott Barton said. Maplewood Shooting: Police ID Teen Fatally Shot (UPDATED) All rights reserved, was shot and killed by a stranger on June 6, 20 Students Injured in Long Island School Bus Crash With Pickup Truck, Man Charged With Murder in 31-Year-Old Cold Case Killing Of Queens Teen: DA, Met Gala 2023: Start Time, Theme, Guests & Everything Else to Know, Met Gala 2023 Live Updates: Fashion Highlights From Carpet, Here's How to Watch 2023 Met Gala Celebrity Arrivals, These Are Some of The Best Met Gala Looks in The Last Decade. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. courtesy of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Rebecca Panico | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, 18-year-old high school student in Maplewood, was arrested on a murder charge last week, Moussa Fofana, a Columbia High School student, community to rally in support of his mother. Watch WIS News 10 at 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. "Sometimes you might not have a very good case of first-degree murder and sometimes the proofs might lean toward one of the lesser included offenses," Molinelli said. Hundreds rallied to support Hawa Fofana, the mother of 18-year-old Moussa Fofana, during a July rally. In addition, due to the proximity of Underhill to Clinton Elementary School and the ongoing police investigation taking place, all outdoor activities at Clinton will be canceled for the day (and/or take place indoors where necessary). Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. But school Principal Frank Sanchez identified Fofana as an 11th grader, according to a report in Village Green. Our Crisis Team has been deployed to provide additional support and counseling to students and staff as needed at Columbia High and Lower Richland High. In 2019, the owner of a popular New York City comedy club and a nanny who cared for his two children were killed in his Maplewood home. No arrests have been made. Layla Michaelson, a neighbor and Columbia High School senior, said in an interview that she first met Moussa when she was in the sixth grade and that her family had moved in across the street from him and his family two years ago. READ MORE: 'Loss To The World': Maplewood Shooting Victim Mourned. First published on June 8, 2021 / 10:10 AM. As Columbia High School parents and members of our community, Marie and I are absolutely heartbroken. We are in close communication with the authorities. No arrest (s) yet. A hearing was initially set for Thursday, but it was postponed a week. I was shocked.. He took virtual classes all morning, and then played soccer every other hour, his mother, Hawa Fofana, said. Contact information for our counselors and social workers is listed on the second page of this document. The district was on all-remote learning until the last few months, a situation that frustrated some parents (read more). Also, all activities at Underhill field are canceled while the investigation proceeds. "Im the mother, somebody shot my son and my son was not a criminal," said Fofana. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. pic.twitter.com/FVqwF2EmGm. With this devastating news, I have confirmed with our Board of Education that the retiree celebration scheduled for this evening will be canceled and postponed to a later date. We will follow up with additional communication as we receive clearance from the local law enforcement and the family," Taylor's letter concluded. Student hospitalized after stabbing at Ridge View High School, suspect Superintendent Taylor said Monday, "It is with a very heavy heart that we confirm there was a shooting last night with multiple victims at Underhill. Maplewood Middle School Principal Dara Gronau also sent a letter out to the MMS community late Monday morning, confirming that both the deceased victim and the injured victim were MMS alumni and offering counseling and support to students. "I need him to be life in prison because my life, and my family life, will never be the same.". Moussa was adored and cherished at MMS, said Maplewood Middle School teacher Suzanne Fein. NEWARK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Police arrested and charged a Newark man with the murder of Moussa Fofana, an 18-year-old who died in a shooting near Columbia High School in Maplewood. Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens and Maplewood Police Chief Jim Duval said Monday that the incident is being investigated as a homicide, and no arrests had been made. UPDATE: BREAKING: Columbia High School Student Killed, Another Injured Hernandez also faces charges of aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. residents on Burr Road heard gunfire around 10 p.m. Maplewood Memorial Library on Track for Fall 24 Maplewoodstock Music and Arts Festival 2023 Announces Headliners. "Dear South Orange & Maplewood School District Community," wrote Superintendent Ronald Taylor in a letter, "It is with deep regret that we inform you about a recent loss to our school community. Maplewood police found Fofana dead at the scene, and another student, also 18, shot in the leg. Fofana said she wants justice. Columbia University murder suspect awaiting arraignment - New York Post Columbine High School shootings, massacre that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, leaving 15 dead, including the two students responsible for the attack. Authorities wrote in court documents that Hernandez waived his Miranda rights and gave detectives a statement. Fofana, a standout soccer player at Columbia High School, was found fatally shot at Underhill Sports Complex on June 6. He confirmed there was one male victim but declined to give the age of the victim. Holbrook said, Its disturbing and we are sick of it. Hernandez, then 20, of Newark, was arrested in August 2021. Calling Fofana's death a tragedy, Gov. Dr. Ronald G. Taylor, the South Orange-Maplewood schools superintendent, said in a letter to parents and staff members that the shooting was an inconceivable calamity., Suzanne Fein, who was among Moussas middle school teachers, described him to the local news website The Village Green as a student who never went without a thank you and a kind smile, grateful for all who engaged with him.. pic.twitter.com/4CPG1nZ8Te. Neighbors told CBS2 off camera that recently there had been people gathering in the field doing drugs and drinking alcohol, but Sunday's incident was the first time anyone heard of any violence. "It's another case of gun violence in our midst, and please keep him and his memory and their families in your prayers.". Just after 9:30 p.m., neighbors heard gunshots. On April 20, 1999, they entered Columbine . She sounded stunned that someone would kill him. Homicides are rare in Maplewood. A high school student was killed in a shooting late Sunday night at a sports complex near Columbia High School in Maplewood. June 8, 2021 / 10:10 AM Richland County deputies say the stabbing happened around 10 . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Tragically, the police have verified that both victims were Columbia High School students. Email caren.lissner@patch.com. Weve got to have some accountability for people who are unlawfully carrying firearms. MUPD originally led the investigation after a mother of a University of Missouri student asked MUPD to conduct a welfare check on her son . She really wants to focus on achieving justice for Moussa, Ostmann told NJ Advance Media. The athletic field for Columbia High School is approximately .8 miles from the high school and closer to one of the elementary schools in town. Phil Murphy took a moment to acknowledge the victims at the start of the COVID-19 briefing on Monday. Robertson Onyiuke, a family friend, said Moussa was both still a child and the man of the house., Were all still in shock, Mr. Onyiuke said, adding: I loved that boy like a son.. She cut the caller off and tried Moussas phone using FaceTime. The suspect is now charged with one count of attempted murder. The story was updated at 11:20 a.m. with a message from Maplewood Middle School Principal Dara Gronau. Because of the situation, Ridge View and nearby Rice Creek Elementary School were put on secure status -- meaning the school day continued but no one is allowed to enter or exit the buildings. At this time, out of respect for the family and due to the ongoing nature of the police investigation, we are unable to share the names of the affected students. As the suspect behind Thursday's fatal stabbing of a Columbia University grad student was awaiting a court appearance on Saturday, the campus mourned yet another murdered classmate and . MAPLEWOOD, NJ The superintendent of the South Orange-Maplewood School District announced late on Tuesday that a student at Columbia High School has passed away. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432. Until such time as information is received, we are making preparations for addressing the needs of our students, staff and families. Nothing pleased Moussa more than human connection. Moussa Fofana Murder Case Ends in Plea Deal, Mom Says - NBC New York The District will provide updated information to staff and the District families as it is received. We offer our sincere condolences to the family in their time of need. The 17-year-old suspect is being charged as an adult.