NORTH PLAINFIELD, NJ (Somerset County) – A triple shooting in Somerset County killed two people and critically injured a third, according to Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson.
On Friday, August 13, at 8:06 p.m., police responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting multiple shooting victims at the Malcolm Gardens Apartment Complex on Little Place in North Plainfield, Robertson said.
Officers located three male shooting victims and immediately initiated life saving measures and requested for emergency personnel and medevac assets while securing the crime scene. Emergency medical personnel from North Plainfield Fire Department Emergency Medical Services, Medic 1 from Atlantic Health Care, and the New Jersey State Police North Star Medevac all responded to provided critical life saving measures and triage the scene, Robertson said.
A 14-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene and a 31-year-old was transported by ambulance to an undisclosed area trauma center and was pronounced dead. A 28-year-old was flown to an undisclosed area trauma center where he underwent emergency surgery for multiple gunshots and is listed in critical condition, Robertson said.
Detectives from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Crime Scene Investigations Unit, the North Plainfield Police Department, and Investigators for the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office responded to conduct the investigation which remains on-going, Robertson said.
“The identities of the shooting homicide victims have not been released by authorities as they make next of kin notifications. A post mortem examination will be performed by the Medical Examiner’s Office,” Robertson said.
A preliminary investigation revealed that all three victims were sitting outside on a first floor patio area of the apartment in which one of the male victims resided. The assailant(s) confronted the victims as they were sitting outside and fired multiple rounds within close proximity of the victims, striking all three male victims, Robertson said.
“Detectives are attempting to establish a motive and a description of the assailant(s),” Robertson said.
Anyone with information relating to the homicide/shooting investigation to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office 908-231-7100 or the North Plainfield Police Department at 908-769-2937 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.
