Story highlights

Christmas night shooting leaves two New Jersey teens dead, another wounded

Three men shot to death, two others wounded in unrelated shooting nearby

Authorities seeking motive in first incident, more details on second

CNN  — 

Two teenagers were killed and another wounded during a Christmas night shooting in Newark, New Jersey, authorities said Thursday.

The shooting came less than 24 hours after three men were shot to death early Christmas morning outside a bar about a mile away, authorities said.

The teens, identified as 13-year-old Zainee Hailey and 14-year-old Kasson Mormon, were pronounced dead at the University Hospital in Newark, police said. A 14-year-old who was not identified was in critical condition, the Essex County prosecutor said.

Junior Clark, a Newark resident, told CNN affiliate WCBS he saw the gunman minutes before gunfire erupted.

“I saw the guy with the gun under his arm, under his jacket,” Clark told WCBS, “I heard when he shot.”

Authorities said the motive for the shooting was unknown.

The investigation was being handled by Newark’s homicide major crimes task force, which includes officers from the Newark State Police, the Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.

Earlier on Christmas Day, a few minutes away in Irvington, three men were shot and killed outside Slick’s Go Go Bar. The dead included the bar owner’s son – identified as Pierre Clervoyant, 34 – and nightclub employee Woodley Daniel, 32. The identity of the third victim, who authorities said appeared to be an unintended target, was not released.

Two other men were shot and wounded, and their identities and condition were not released.

All five men were transported to University Hospital shortly after 1 a.m., where Clervoyant and Daniel were pronounced dead.

Authorities said an altercation between the bouncer and the gunman appears to be a catalyst in the shooting, but the motive was being investigated.