NEWARK, N.J. - Two Latinos males are now in custody facing murder and robbery charges Thursday in the stunning execution-style killings of three African American college students and wounding of another in an elementary school yard shooting.
MSNBC is reporting that two, if not three additional suspects are also being sought by police.
A 15-year-old teenager was arrested Wednesday night, and the 28-year-old surrendered Thursday, authorities said. Mayor Cory Booker said fingerprint and ballistics evidence tied the man, Jose Carranza, to the crime.
Carranza turned himself in directly to Mayor Booker and now is expected to be charged with three counts of first degree murder, one count of attempted murder, robbery and other charges.
At one point as many as 30 police investigators where out looking for Carranza, who is believed to have an extensive criminal record.
The juvenile, whose name was not released because of his age, was arrested on the same charges and will possibly be tried as an adult.
The four friends, ages 18 to 20, were attacked while they were talking outside a public school last Saturday night. While authorities are maintaining that they believe robbery appears to be the sole motive, others are speculating that crime may have been gang or even race related.
Shot at close range, three of the Black victims — Terrance Aeriel, 18, Dashon Harvey, 20; and Iofemi Hightower, 20 — were forced to kneel against a wall and shot at close range. The fourth, 19-year-old Natasha Aeriel, Terrance Aeriel's sister, survived a wound to her head.
Friends become murder victims
Despite being under sedation at times, Natasha Aeriel has been providing authorities with information about the shootings, Booker said.
The killings brought unwanted heat to Newark, and to the city's bright, ambitious, Barack Obama-like leader.
Booker, 37, promised to clean house when he rode into office on the hopes that change was a comin' Instead, Jersey's dark spot continues to struggle with violent crime.
"This is a defining moment for our city. The crime is not going to define Newark but our response to it," Booker said Thursday on ABC's "Good Morning America."
A particularly murderous week in America
All four victims were planning to attend Delaware State University this fall. Instead, three were to be buried Saturday in separate services. A friend of the victims, Samantha Williams, said she was overwhelmed by news of an arrest. "I can actually stop crying, I can sleep peacefully," said Williams, 18, of Orange.