FLORHAM PARK BOROUGH, N.J. (Morris County) — Florham Park police said an investigation at a higher-education campus in town led to the seizure of a loaded “ghost gun,” a high-capacity magazine and a significant quantity of marijuana and suspected drug-distribution evidence from a dorm room.
Police said their Detective Bureau began investigating on Jan. 14, after receiving information about firearm possession coupled with illegal drug distribution on campus. Working with the school’s security team, detectives quickly secured a dorm room and recovered “a significant quantity of unregulated marijuana,” evidence they said indicated drug distribution, and a loaded handgun.
Police described the weapon as a “ghost gun” — an unserialized, unregistered firearm that is illegal to possess in New Jersey — and said a loaded high-capacity magazine, as defined by state law, was also recovered.
Police said the suspect was arrested without incident. They credited the school’s security force and identified Detective Sgt. Jeremy Rachel and Detectives Chris Heredia and Nick Grande as the investigators involved.
The defendant was identified as Shawn Alexander, 21, of Willingboro.
Alexander faces multiple charges, including unlawful possession of a handgun; possession of a weapon while committing a controlled dangerous substance crime; possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; possession of a firearm without a serial number; unlawful possession of a weapon on the grounds of an education institution; possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance; illegal possession of a high-capacity ammunition magazine; two counts of possession of controlled dangerous substances involving more than 6 ounces of marijuana and more than 17 grams of hashish; and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, police said.
Police said he was lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending a detention hearing before a Superior Court judge.
