19-year-old charged with attempted murder after Route 206 shooting in Somerset County
HILLSBOROUGH TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Somerset County) — A 19-year-old Hillsborough man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder following a reported shooting Tuesday afternoon on Route 206, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald announced.
According to McDonald, Hillsborough Township Police responded around 1 p.m. on Nov. 18 to the area of 649 Route 206 near Hillsborough Centre, south of Amwell Road, after receiving reports of shots fired. Eyewitnesses told officers they saw a shooting and provided descriptions of both the alleged male shooter and the alleged male victim. Police said both individuals fled on foot before officers arrived.
Responding officers confirmed a shooting had occurred, secured the crime scene, and established a perimeter while searching for the individuals involved. As a precaution, area schools were placed in a secure hold, and nearby residents and businesses were urged to use caution.
McDonald said a significant law enforcement response followed, including detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes and Crime Scene Investigations units, the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and K-9 Unit, and the New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, which provided aerial support.
Investigators located and interviewed the victim, identified only as a 19-year-old Hillsborough resident. Authorities said the victim was not injured.
Through investigative work, officials identified the alleged shooter as Dawan Jeter of Hillsborough. A Superior Court search warrant was obtained for Jeter’s residence, but a tactical team found he was not there. Authorities later learned Jeter was on his way to the Hillsborough Police Department to surrender.
McDonald said Jeter arrived and surrendered without incident at 5:56 p.m. He was taken into custody and charged with first-degree attempted murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree endangering another person. He was lodged in the Somerset County Jail pending a detention hearing.
All safety alerts were lifted once Jeter was in custody.
McDonald praised the swift and coordinated police response, saying it ensured “that residents, visitors, and school children were safe as law enforcement searched for defendant Jeter.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-231-7100, the Hillsborough Township Police Department at 908-369-4313, or submit anonymous tips via the STOPit app or the Somerset County Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477).
