PHILLIPSBURG, N.J. (Warren County) — A Newark man has been arrested in connection with an August shooting that damaged property but caused no injuries, the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday. A 17-year-old was previously charged in the same incident.
According to authorities, on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, members of the U.S. Marshals Service NY/NJ Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Phillipsburg Police Department located and arrested 22-year-old Karim D. Thomas in Phillipsburg. He was wanted in connection with a shooting that occurred Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, on the 100 block of Henderson Street.
Officers responded around 4:17 p.m. that day after the town’s ShotSpotter system detected gunfire. When police arrived at Henderson and Wilson streets, they found several spent shell casings, bullet holes in a parked vehicle, and damage to a nearby residence. No one was injured, authorities said.
Video footage from the area led investigators to identify a 17-year-old juvenile, who was charged in August with multiple offenses, including conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, aggravated assault for firing a handgun at a victim, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a handgun without a permit, and criminal mischief for damaging a vehicle. The juvenile was charged on a warrant and was being held pending a Family Court hearing at the time.
After additional investigation, prosecutors charged Thomas on Sept. 8 with possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit, aggravated assault for allegedly discharging a firearm toward individuals, and criminal mischief for allegedly striking a residence with gunfire.
Thomas was arrested, processed, and lodged in the Warren County Correctional Center, officials said. The court is expected to hear the State’s motion for pretrial detention next week.
According to prosecutors, second-degree crimes in New Jersey carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in state prison, while fourth-degree crimes are punishable by up to 18 months.
The Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, Phillipsburg Police Department, Warren County Regional Crime Scene Team, New Jersey State Police Crime Scene Unit, and NJSP Strategic Investigations Unit assisted in the investigation.
