Gang violence behind gun battle at festival

A dispute between neighborhood gangs in Trenton, N.J., erupted into a gun battle Sunday that killed one suspect and injured 22 people at an arts festival, police said. Numerous fights broke out and police tried to shut down the Art All Night Trenton festival before the gunfire started at about 2:45 a.m. About 1,000 people attended the event. “There was a report that the mood inside the venue had been changing,” Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said. “During that time period, prior to the shooting, the Trenton Police Department began dispersing individuals.”

Authorities identified the deceased suspect at Tahaij Wells, a 33-year-old on parole for homicide-related charges. Another suspect was shot and remained in critical condition. The police confiscated multiple weapons after the melee, including a handgun with an extended capacity magazine containing more ammunition than New Jersey law allows, Onofri said.