GoFundMe identifies victim in Christmas Eve shooting in Morris County; suspect charged
DENVILLE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — A GoFundMe campaign organized by a family member has identified the woman found with a gunshot wound along a Morris County roadway on Christmas Eve as an 18-year-old from Georgia.
According to the fundraiser, organized by Jocelyn Heath, the victim is India Heath, 18, who was shot and left on the side of the road on Dec. 24. Authorities have not publicly released the victim’s identity.
Police said the woman was found shortly before 9:30 p.m. lying in the fetal position near the intersection of Old Boonton Road and Pocono Road in Denville. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
In the GoFundMe description, the family said Heath survived after being discovered by a passerby and rushed to the hospital. She is now in stable condition and has undergone multiple surgeries. The fundraiser states she sustained serious injuries, including damage to her liver and spine, and faces a lengthy recovery.
The fundraiser also said Heath’s mother, Jessica Heath, and her siblings traveled from Georgia to New Jersey to be with her. The family is seeking assistance with medical expenses, travel and lodging costs, and plans to eventually bring Heath back to Georgia, where her 7-month-old daughter is waiting.
The GoFundMe campaign is available online and has raised nearly $2,000 toward a $4,000 goal, according to the fundraiser page.
Meanwhile, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll and local law enforcement officials announced that Jovan Young, 37, last known to be living in Jonesboro, Georgia, has been charged in connection with the shooting.
Investigators determined the woman had been with Young earlier in the day. Authorities said both the victim and Young are from Georgia but have ties to New Jersey.
On Dec. 25, police located Young in Boonton and took him into custody. During the arrest, officers recovered a 9mm handgun and multiple magazines loaded with hollow-point ammunition, authorities said.
As of Dec. 27, Young was charged with third-degree endangering an injured person; second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose; second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon; fourth-degree possession of hollow-point cartridges; and fourth-degree certain persons not to have weapons or ammunition.
Young was transported to the Morris County Correctional Facility pending future court proceedings under the state’s Criminal Justice Reform Act. The investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are possible, authorities said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6200.
