A second victim, 34 years old, was also wounded and police say he was the target of the gunmen.
TRENTON -- City activist and former school board member Algernon Ward was wounded in the shoulder Thursday night when gunfire erupted near his home in North Trenton.
Algernon Ward portrays a World War I soldier at a Black History Month event at the Old Barracks in Trenton Feb. 28, 2016. (Michael Mancuso | For NJ.com) Police said Ward was an unintended victim of a shooting down the street that wounded a 34-year-old man, who suffered a leg wound when three males fired on him.
Ward, 62, said Friday he had just walked outside his home in the 600 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Thursday night when he heard gunshots.
He felt something slam into his shoulder with a burning sensation, so he dropped and "commando crawled" back inside and called police, Ward said Friday.
He was treated at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton and released, and was home Friday resting.
Ward, who has also run for North Ward council seats and is well-known as a re-enactor at the Old Barracks in Trenton, said people have already told him he should leave Trenton due to the violence.
The lifelong city resident said his response is: "If they shoot me in the right shoulder, I am going to swing with my left."
"My feeling is that I am not going to be driven away from my home," Ward said. "I believe Trenton is worth fighting for, and if I leave, it will be on my own terms and I won't be driven away."
Ward said he believes God spared his life for a reason, and he will continue to live his life for that purpose.
Trenton solved 42% of shootings last year
The other victim, who police say the gunmen targeted, suffered a broken leg bone when a bullet entered his thigh and caused him to fall to the ground, police spokesman Lt. Stephen Varn said.
Police officers were dispatched to the block at 7:45 p.m. Thursday for a shooting and found Ward.
Shortly after a Trenton EMS ambulance took Ward to the hospital, police were notified that another victim of the shooting was at the hospital, Varn said.
The 34-year-old, who was not named, told police he was walking on the 600 block when three men who had been standing in front of a deli started shooting at him.
The man turned and ran, but was shot in the leg and collapsed. A friend took him to the hospital, Varn said.
Police described the gunmen as males, two who wore all dark clothing and one who wore a brown or camouflage jump suit.
The city's joint Shooting Reponse Team is investigating. No arrests have been announced.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.