'I got shot first,' he says of fatal gunfight

Thursday, December 04, 2008
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A 19-year-old Jersey City man has been charged with murdering a young man in a city public housing complex during an exchange of gunfire in which the charged man was also wounded, officials said.

"I got shot first," Gregory Mallard blurted yesterday - over the judge's advice to remain silent - during his appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Jersey City via a video-link with the Hudson County Jail.

The Parnell Place resident was arrested at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on charges he murdered Lawrence Robertson, 19, of Fulton Avenue in Jersey City, during an August 31 shootout at the Holland Gardens housing complex, officials said.

Shot twice in the head, Robertson was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center in extremely critical condition and died, officials said.

After the shooting, Mallard was found nearby on Erie Street with a gunshot wound to the stomach, officials said.

"The allegations are that you shot the victim in the head with a handgun, causing his death," CJP Court Judge Richard Nieto read from the criminal complaint at yesterday's hearing.

Robertson was apparently with a group of people partying in the Holland Gardens courtyard when a rival group arrived, triggering what appears to have been a gunfight, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said.

"This was a potentially extremely dangerous situation for innocent bystanders," said DeFazio of the shooting that took place among numerous bystanders and near traffic leaving the Holland Tunnel.

Superior Court Judge Barry Sarkisian set Mallard's bail at $300,000 cash only.

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19-year-old charged with murder -- 'I got shot first,' he tells judge

by Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal
Wednesday December 03, 2008, 3:52 PM


Gregory Mallard of Jersey City is arraigned at Central Judicial Processing Court in Jersey City via video link from the Hudson County jail in Kearny today.

A 19-year-old Jersey City man has been charged with murdering a young man in a city public housing complex during an eruption of gunfire which also wounded the defendant, officials said.

"I got shot first," Gregory Mallard argued over the judge's advice to remain silent during Mallard's first appearance on the murder charge in Central Judicial Processing Court in Jersey City today.


Lawrence Robertson Jr.

The Parnell Place man appeared via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. He was arrested at 10:30 a.m. yesterday on charges he murdered Lawrence Robertson, 19, of Fulton Avenue in Jersey City, officials said.

Robertson was shot twice in the head on Sept. 1 in the Holland Gardens housing complex in Downtown Jersey City and was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center in extremely critical condition before dying, officials said.

After the shooting, Mallard was found nearby on Erie Street with a gunshot wound to the stomach and he was rushed to the hospital in stable condition, officials said.

"The allegations are that you shot the victim in the head with a handgun causing his death," read CJP Court Judge Richard Nieto from the criminal complaint at this morning's hearing.

Police had already charged a juvenile in connection to the shooting but the continuing investigation and interviews of the numerous witnesses led to the charges against Mallard, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said.

Robertson was apparently with a group of people that were at a party in the Holland Gardens courtyard when a rival group arrived, triggering what appears to have been gunfire from more than one gun, DeFazio said.

"This was a potentially extremely dangerous situation for innocent bystanders," said DeFazio of the shooting that took place among numerous bystanders and near traffic leaving the Holland Tunnel.

Superior Court Judge Barry Sarkisian set Mallard's bail at $300,000 cash only.

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