Six people injured in New Jersey acid attack involving suspects on a moped

One minor has been arrested in connection to Monday attack that Jersey City police said ‘appears to be targeted’

Six people in New Jersey were injured in an acid attack involving suspects on a moped.

Jersey City police responded to reports that two suspects riding a moped drove past a group and threw an acidic substance at them on Monday evening, initially injuring five people.

In an update to the Guardian on Tuesday afternoon, police said there were six victims in total. Three of the victims are teenagers.

A 21-year-old woman was transferred to a local burn unit for treatment of second-degree burns to her face and scalp. The five other victims are in stable condition, according to Jersey City police.

The attack “appears to be targeted and follows an earlier altercation”, police said. Preliminary information indicates that five women were outside 105 Wilkinson Avenue, which appears to be a residential address, when the substance was thrown.

The substance is believed to be sulfuric acid, police said. One minor has been arrested in connection with the incident, with charges pending.

After the attack, Jersey City’s mayor, James Solomon, said: “My thoughts are with those hurt in this horrific attack, and I want our communities to know that violence like this has absolutely no place on our streets. I have directed JCPD to use its full resources on the investigation, and to ensure that our officers work around the clock to find those responsible and bring them to justice.”