By: Richard L. Smith
A jury has found a Newark man guilty in a fatal 2022 shooting that claimed the life of a city resident, authorities said.
According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Eric Hampton Manning, 30, of Newark, was convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. 
The trial was presided over by Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Arre.
The conviction stems from the March 8, 2022 shooting death of Sharique Ray Young, 28, also of Newark. Prosecutors said surveillance video captured Manning approaching Young’s parked vehicle on Huntington Avenue around 8 p.m. while holding a firearm behind his back.
At the time of the shooting, Young was seated in the driver’s seat speaking with a friend who was standing outside the open driver’s-side window, while another friend sat in the passenger seat.
Authorities said Manning pushed the friend away from the window and opened fire, striking Young four times.
No one else was injured.
Following the shooting, Manning fled to the end of the block, which becomes Schuyler Avenue, where he was later seen entering a getaway vehicle approximately eight minutes after the gunfire, prosecutors said.
Manning was arrested on November 4, 2022, while he was awaiting sentencing on an unrelated matter.
Assistant Prosecutor Dorian Belfiore, a member of the trial team, said the verdict reflected the dedication of prosecutors and investigators involved in the case, adding that officials hope the outcome brings some measure of comfort and closure to the victim’s family.
Prosecutors also credited investigators from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Newark Police Division for their assistance in the investigation.