Pair arrested in Newark schoolyard slayings

NEWARK, — A suspect in the execution-style killing of three college students and in the wounding of a fourth surrendered directly to Newark’s mayor Thursday, after last weekend’s attack focused attention on the mayor’s inability to stem his city’s high murder rate.

Police had arrested a 15-year-old suspect in the case on Wednesday night. The next morning, Mayor Cory A. Booker cut short a news conference when his chief of staff whispered in his ear that a second suspect, Jose Carranza, 28, wanted to turn himself in to the mayor.

"I don’t think words can describe the level of emotion I feel about this individual," said a visibly exhausted Booker at a second news conference, his voice breaking as he announced Carranza’s arrest.

Last Saturday night, in a schoolyard marked with gang graffiti, a group of men lined the three students up against a wall, forced them to kneel and shot them in the head. They died before  see full story