High School Teacher Killed In Essex County Shooting – West Orange, NJ Patch

EAST ORANGE, NJ — A fatal shooting in Essex County claimed the life of a local high school teacher early Friday morning. A second man was also injured in the shooting but survived, authorities said.

The shooting took place around 1 a.m. on South 16th Street in East Orange, according to a joint statement from Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino and East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi.

Kofi A. Owens, 45, of Newark, a high school teacher at the STEM Academy in East Orange, was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:18 a.m. A second victim was injured in the shooting but survived the encounter. The surviving victim – whose name wasn’t released – was in stable condition as of Friday, authorities said.

No arrests have been made. A police investigation is in progress. Anyone with information can contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4 EC or 1-877-847-7432.

According to the East Orange STEM Academy school website, Owens was a technology lead teacher.

Owens’ profile on behance.net states:

“Owens was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and moved to East Orange, N.J. at the tender age of 12. Mr. Owens attended Sojourner Truth Middle School located in the Hart Middle Complex in East Orange N.J. He then went on to attend North 13th St. Essex County Vocational High School where he majored in Advertising Design. Soon after he attended Bloomfield College and graduated with honors with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Graphics. Mr. Owens began teaching in the East Orange School District in 2006 and has come full circle from a student of the East Orange School system.”

According to Learning.com, Owens was asked to lead a pilot for a new computer coding program at East Orange STEM Academy in the fall of 2016.

East Orange Mayor Ted Green released the following statement about the shooting on Friday afternoon:

“I am extremely saddened to learn of the tragic death of Kofi Owens, a beloved and well-respected teacher and mentor in our East Orange School District. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family and all of those who will feel the loss throughout our community. This type of violence will not be tolerated in our city, and we are working aggressively with all law enforcement agencies to ensure that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice using every means necessary.”

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Photo: East Orange STEM Academy