[northjersey.com] After a detective was shot and killed in a Jersey City cemetery, a raging shootout broke out Tuesday between police and two suspects about a mile away, with hundreds of rounds exchanged over two hours as a bustling neighborhood was transformed into a deadly battlefield.By the time it ended, six people were dead — the detective, two suspects who fired at police from inside a small supermarket, and three bystanders who had been inside the store when the shooting began.
The detective was identified as Joseph Seals, a father of five from North Arlington who was part of a department tasked to get guns off of the city's streets. Seals was on duty and in plainclothes when he was shot by at least one of the suspects at Bayview Cemetery.
"We believe he was killed while trying to interdict these bad guys," said Jersey City Police Chief Michael Kelly.
Authorities said they did not know why the detective was there but that they were looking into whether it was part of an investigation. They said a stolen U-Haul truck that possibly contained an explosive device was found and removed from the area.
Kelly said he had "no inkling on motive."
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was on the scene along with the FBI. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Newark said on social media that it was part of the investigation along with state and local authorities.