6 killed in Jersey City shootout that ends at kosher supermarket

Marcy Oster

Six people were killed, including a police officer and three civilians, during an hours-long shootout Tuesday afternoon that concluded in a kosher supermarket in Jersey City, New Jersey.

There was “no indication of terrorism,” an official said at a news conference. Investigators believe that the store was chosen randomly and that the incident was not a hate crime.

The gunmen, described as juveniles, had holed up in the JC Kosher Supermarket after shooting a police officer at nearby Bayview Cemetery. That officer, identified as Det. Joseph Seals, died.

A third gunman was still at large Tuesday evening, according to Fox News.

Seals, a married father of five, was a “leading police officer in removing guns from the street,” according to Police Chief Michael Kelly.

The Forward reported that Kelly said police had “no inkling” as to motive.

At least two other officers were injured in the gunfire, the Hudson County prosecutor told reporters. At least one victim from the market was being treated and talking to police, WABC-TV reported.

Police swarmed the streets and marched in formation with helicopters flying overhead, according to news reports.

Public schools in the area were put on lockdown as the situation unfolded, but all students and staff were declared safe, according to CBS.

Jersey City is located just west of New York City across the Hudson River.

The grocery store neighbors a study hall, the Greenville Beis Midrash, also known as the Greenville Shul, and is near an affiliated yeshiva, according to the Forward.