By: Richard L. Smith
A Newark man has been convicted in connection with a 2023 shooting that left a woman dead and another person injured on a city street, according to authorities.
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II announced that a jury found Altaariq Palmer, 28, of Newark, guilty in the case following a 10-day trial in Superior Court.
Palmer was convicted of second-degree passion/provocation manslaughter, third-degree aggravated assault, and multiple related weapons offenses.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Daniel Nicholas and Assistant Prosecutor Shelby Day before Superior Court Judge Kevin Barry.
The jury returned its verdict on Monday, March 9, 2026.
According to officials, the shooting occurred on the evening of May 22, 2023, when Newark police responded to reports of gunfire in the 900 block of 18th Avenue.
When officers arrived, they found Latoya Miller-Kone, 41, of Newark, lying on the sidewalk with a gunshot wound to the head. She was transported to University Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Prosecutors said surveillance footage played a key role in the investigation.
Video captured a physical altercation involving Palmer and several individuals about 35 minutes before the shooting.
Additional footage later showed Palmer leaving the scene and then returning to the area wearing a mask.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Palmer fired approximately 14 rounds toward individuals involved in the earlier dispute, authorities said. Miller-Kone, who prosecutors described as an innocent bystander, was struck by gunfire and killed.
Another individual was also wounded during the shooting.
Palmer is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2026.