Detectives for The Essex County Prosecutor's Office have taken over the investigation into a shooting that left a man dead outside a bar in downtown Newark.
According to preliminary reports, multiple rounds of gunfire rang out in the vicinity of the "Three Levels" nightclub located steps away from the Prudential Center Arena just before 11 p.m.
Newark East Ward Police officers arrived at the scene found several shell casings and a severely injured male lying on the ground at that location.
According to reports, EMS rushed the victim to University Hospital, where doctors pronounced the unidentified male dead a short time later.
Police taped off a large area around Lafayette and Mulberry streets for the investigation then searched for the shooter.
According to police, there were no events taking place at the Prudential Center during the shooting. Authorities have not confirmed if the shooting is related to or originated from the "Three Levels" nightclub at this time.
The suspect remains at large and the investigation is active and ongoing.