Drive-by shooting outside Trenton convenience store leaves 1 dead, 4 wounded, authorities say

The shooting happened directly in front of the Community Mini-Market at the intersection of Jersey Street and Home Avenue. It was feet away from where 22-year-old Sidiq Howlen was gunned down in April.

TRENTON — A drive-by shooting in front of a South Ward convenience store left one person dead and four others wounded last night, police said.

Brandon Varlow was shot multiple times at the intersection of Jersey Street and Home Avenue. He died shortly afterward at the hospital.

No arrests have been made, and it was unclear tonight whether Varlow was the target of the shooting.

The shooting happened directly in front of the Community Mini-Market at the intersection of Jersey Street and Home Avenue. It was feet away from where 22-year-old Sidiq Howlen was gunned down in April.

Just before 10 p.m. Saturday, a vehicle traveling on Home Avenue stopped directly in front of the store, a prosecutor’s office spokeswoman said. Multiple shots emanated from the vehicle, cutting down Centre Street resident Varlow, three men and a woman. The car then fled the scene.

Varlow was rushed to Capital Health Regional Medical Center but pronounced dead there.

The people shot alongside Varlow - men 24, 25, and 43 years old and a 25-year-old woman - were taken to area hospitals but all expected to survive, the prosecutor’s office said.

The number of shooters remains under investigation, Lt. Steve Varn said. No description of the vehicle or the suspects was available tonight.

About an hour before that homicide, police were investigating a shooting that left a 25-year-old man shot in the arm.

The victim was in the area of Luther Towers on the 400 block of West State Street around 9 p.m. when he was shot, Varn said. Seeking safety, the victim ran for the senior housing complex, and arriving officers found him in the lobby.

The 25-year-old was in extremely critical condition Saturday night and rushed into emergency surgery. The surgery at Capital Health Regional Medical Center was successful, and the victim is expected to survive.

There was an extensive crime scene, Varn said.

The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is investigating. Anyone with information should call (609) 989-6406 or the Trenton police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663.

Contact Alex Zdan at azdan@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5705.

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