January 1, Two GOP Council Members Fatally Shot One Week Apart

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A New Jersey council member was fatally shot on Wednesday — marking the second such deadly attack on a local elected official within seven days.

Russell Heller, a Republican councilman in Milford township, was shot in the parking lot outside his workplace, the PSE&G energy company in Somerset County, on Wednesday morning. Police arrived on the scene at about 7 a.m., following multiple 911 calls. When responding officers found Heller, 51, he had already succumbed to his injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel, according to the Franklin Township Police Department.

An investigation led authorities to identify the suspected gunman as Gary Curtis, 58, a former PSE&G employee. A few hours later, detectives found Curtis dead inside his vehicle in a parking lot in a nearby township. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.

“The investigation remains on-going to determine motive,” the Franklin Township Police Department said in a news release. “Preliminary investigation has revealed that the shooting was an isolated incident and Mr. Heller was the intended target.”

The Somerset County prosecutor’s office issued a statement Thursday morning saying that the shooting was not politically motivated.

“Investigators have confirmed that Mr. Heller was a Republican Councilman for Milford Borough (Hunterdon County),” the prosecutor’s office told CBS New York in a statement. “The investigation has revealed that the shooting of Mr. Heller was not politically connected with his elected office or political affiliation.”

New Jersey political leaders reacted to news of the tragic incident, including Gov. Phil Murphy.

“Early this morning, a deadly shooting took place outside of a PSE&G facility in Franklin Township. Our thoughts and prayers are with Russell Heller’s family and friends in the wake of this tragic act of gun violence,” Murphy tweeted on Wednesday.

Early this morning, a deadly shooting took place outside of a PSE&G facility in Franklin Township.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Russell Heller's family and friends in the wake of this tragic act of gun violence. https://t.co/KITkU4G4aS

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) February 8, 2023

One week earlier, Eunice Dwumfour, a councilwoman in Sayreville, was fatally shot in a car parked outside her home. Dwumfour, 30, was found on the evening of Feb. 1. The suspect is still at large.

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Source: CBS News