Brother Of Slain Essex County Teacher: 'We Need A Movement'

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — When you think about Kofi Owens, a beloved father, teacher and mentor in Essex County, the word “future” should come to mind. That was the heartfelt message that Kwame Owens wanted to impart on his community during a stirring speech in his slain brother’s name on Wednesday.

Speaking at a rally in East Orange on South 16th Street – the same place where Owens was gunned down on Aug. 3 as he sat in a car with his son – the late teacher’s bereaved brother asked the community to use the tragedy as a chance to unite as a “family.”

“We need to think about what’s next,” Owens told a large crowd of mourners, his voice raw with emotion. “What are we going to do as a community? We talk about it, we plan about it, but we need to make an actual movement. And that’s what I want from everybody.”

Owens said that the world needs more “futurists” who can help stop the next tragedy before it happens. His brother, a married father of two, taught him that, he said.

“I stand here today in my brother’s name. I stand here today because of the values my brother instilled in me… We need to move forward together. That’s what he would want. Let’s not be torn by our creed, color, race, whatever it may be. We are human. We’re a people. And that’s what we’re losing… people.”

Watch Owens’ full speech below, via the City of East Orange (story continues below video).

Owens, 45, of Newark, a married father of two, was killed when someone pulled up and opened fire on him as he sat in his parked car with his son on Friday morning, the Newark Anti-Violence Coalition (NAVC) stated.

His son suffered gunshots to his leg during the shooting, the NAVC stated.

The shooting took place around 1 a.m. on South 16th Street in East Orange. Owens was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:18 a.m., according to a joint statement from Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino and East Orange Police Chief Phyllis Bindi.

A police investigation is in progress. The Essex County Sheriff's Office is offering a reward up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fatal shooting. Detectives from the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department, are asking anyone with information to call the ECPO tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

East Orange Mayor Ted Green released the following statement on the day of the shooting:

"I am extremely saddened to learn of the tragic death of Kofi Owens, a beloved and well-respected teacher and mentor in our East Orange School District. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family and all of those who will feel the loss throughout our community. This type of violence will not be tolerated in our city, and we are working aggressively with all law enforcement agencies to ensure that those responsible are swiftly brought to justice using every means necessary."

REMEMBERING A BELOVED TEACHER

According to the East Orange STEM Academy school website, Owens was a technology lead teacher.

Owens' profile on behance.net states:

"Owens was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and moved to East Orange, N.J. at the tender age of 12. Mr. Owens attended Sojourner Truth Middle School located in the Hart Middle Complex in East Orange N.J. He then went on to attend North 13th St. Essex County Vocational High School where he majored in Advertising Design. Soon after he attended Bloomfield College and graduated with honors with a bachelor's degree in Computer Graphics. Mr. Owens began teaching in the East Orange School District in 2006 and has come full circle from a student of the East Orange School system."

According to Learning.com, Owens was asked to lead a pilot for a new computer coding program at East Orange STEM Academy in the fall of 2016.

The East Orange School District posted a message in 2015 congratulating Owens for leading his students to success:

"Congratulations to both Mr. Dion Patterson and Mr. Kofi Owens from STEM Academy for their awesome accomplishment; their students received the highest scores on the Achieve 3000 Test."

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Photo 1: East Orange Schools

Photo 2: East Orange STEM Academy