The funeral was for Cagney Roberts, a Trenton resident who was shot and killed April 10 in the city. Police took one man into custody shortly after the church shooting
TRENTON - Three people were shot today when gunfire erupted at a funeral at the Galilee Baptist Church in Trenton for a 19-year-old man killed in a shooting earlier this month.
Two men are in stable condition at Capital Health Regional Medical Center after being taken by ambulance from the church and a woman, who was driven to the hospital, is being treated for a graze wound, said Trenton Police Director Ralph Rivera.
One man is in custody and five guns have been seized after police stopped a car fleeing the church, Rivera said. The name of the man taken into custody was not immediately available.
Three of the five guns were seized from the car, one was found inside the church and another outside the church in a parking lot at the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Pennington Avenue, Rivera said. Rivera said it is unclear if there were any shots fire inside the church, but he said there is evidence that shots were fired outside.
The funeral was for Cagney Roberts, a Trenton resident who was shot and killed April 9 in the city. Two other men were wounded in 9 p.m. shooting at St. Joes and Girard Avenues when a gunman approached the group and opened fire.
More than 100 mourners, many of them wearing Roberts' favorite colors of purple and white, were inside Galilee Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard shortly after noon today when they heard shots outside, witnesses said. Those in the church dropped to the ground and took cover, the witnesses said.
A patrol car was assigned to the funeral and stationed outside the church when the gunfire broke out at 12:08 p.m., Rivera said.
"Patrol was here," Rivera said. "They were outside in the parking lot."
He said that led to the car being stopped and man being taken into custody.
"We were trying to be proactive," Rivera said. "We cannot stop crime from occurring. When something's going to happen criminals will wait for that moment, but we will do our best."
Trenton Police, the State Police and Mercer County Sheriff's Officers were on the scene investigating. Officers were seen going door-to-door on Pennington Avenue.
Rivera said the police department has already been working with the church and Rev. John Harris in an anti violence effort with local religious groups, and that effort will continue.
"Pastor Harris said his commitment is stronger now because we need to find solutions," Rivera said.
No arrests have been made in the killing of Roberts on April 9.
Anyone with information about either shooting is asked to contact the homicide task force at (609) 989-6406 or the Trenton Police Confidential Tip Line at (609) 989-3663.
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