By: Richard L. Smith
A Newark man has been found guilty of attempted murder and multiple weapons offenses in connection with the 2025 shooting of another man outside a Newark bar, according to a statement released by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Following approximately two hours of deliberations on August 5, a jury convicted 26-year-old Daishaun Mercer of first-degree attempted murder, second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, and second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Mercer and 35-year-old Dominique Horne of Irvington were outside an establishment on Academy Street during the early morning hours of July 27, 2025, when a fight erupted between two other individuals.
Authorities said Mercer pulled a handgun from his waistband during the disturbance and shot Horne six times.
The victim suffered life-threatening injuries, including a gunshot wound to the head, and was rushed by Newark Police officers to University Hospital for emergency treatment.
Following the verdict, Assistant Prosecutor Laprade said the jury’s decision sent a strong message that gun violence will not be tolerated in the community.
Assistant Prosecutor Dalbeck also commended detectives with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office and members of the Newark Police Division for their work throughout the investigation, adding that the conviction brings a measure of justice for the victim.
Mercer is scheduled to be sentenced on September 26, 2026.