NJ Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour found dead with multiple gunshot wounds in her car: Police
SAYREVILLE, New Jersey (WABC) -- Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, from Sayreville, was shot and killed in her car on Wednesday night.
Dwumfour, 30, was found inside her car with multiple gunshot wounds on Samuel Circle just before 7:30 p.m., officials said.
Police say they believe the Newark native was the intended target of the shooting, but do not have a clear motive.
They think her car traveled about 100 feet before slamming into two parked cars.
Dwumfour was elected to the council in 2022. The Republican defeated an incumbent Democrat to begin a three-year term on the Borough Council and served as a member of the Sayreville Human Rights Council.
She was also a single mother, a business analyst and part-time EMT. Neighbors say she was very active in her church.
Gov. Phil Murphy said no one can remember the last time a sitting politician was fatally shot in the state.
"We can't remember who that is," Murphy said Thursday of the last elected official to be shot while in office. "It's just a shocking, shocking development."
"On behalf of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, I would like to express our horror and deepest sorrow at the senseless violence that claimed the life of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour," New Jersey Republican Chairman Bob Hugin said in a statement. "We will remember Eunice for her steadfast dedication to the community, as well as her deep and abiding Christian faith."
Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said the entire community is shocked and saddened.
"Eunice was a dedicated member of our Borough Council who was truly committed to serve all of our residents. The fact that she was taken from us by a despicable criminal act makes this incident all the more horrifying," Kilpatrick said. "As Mayor I have worked very closely with Eunice in her time on the Borough Council. Beyond her dedication to our community, I can share that she was a woman of deep faith and worked hard to integrate her strong Christian beliefs in to her daily life as a person and a community leader. On a personal note, I can't adequately express my feeling of sorrow at the loss of a friend."
Word of the killing spread quickly overnight through the political community in the state, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.
In December, Gov. Murphy signed legislation banning concealed carry in so-called sensitive places, in response to last year's Supreme Court decision. It was immediately challenged by several rulings that chipped away at the state's ability to enforce in certain locations. One was just handed down by a federal judge Monday.
Sayreville Police and Middlesex County officials are investigating the incident. No arrests have been made but some residents said they saw a person wearing a hooded sweatshirt run between two buildings and jump a fence to escape.
Murphy released the following statement, saying he was stunned.
"I am stunned by the news of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour's murder last evening in an act of gun violence. Her career of public service was just beginning, and by all accounts she had already built a reputation as a committed member of the Borough Council who took her responsibility with the utmost diligence and seriousness. I send my condolences to Councilwoman Dwumfour's family and friends, her governing body colleagues, and the entire Sayreville community. Sayreville is a proud, tight-knit, and safe community and I know that it will come together, as it always has, in common purpose. The New Jersey State Police are supporting the ongoing investigation, and I urge anyone with information to contact either the Sayreville Police or the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office."
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