Monmouth County Man Charged In Walmart Shooting

NEPTUNE—A Neptune man has been arrested in connection with the shooting that occurred at the Neptune Walmart on Wednesday, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.

Mark Ruffin Jr., 22, was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree attempted murder, one count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, according to a Thursday press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

On Wednesday, around 1 p.m, the Neptune Township Police Department responded to the Walmart on 3755 State Highway 66 for reports of shots fired. Upon arrival, officers discovered one male victim suffering from a gunshot wound, who was taken to a local hospital.

A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Neptune Police discovered that Ruffin, Jr. was responsible for the shooting.

If convicted of the shooting, Ruffin Jr. can face up to 20 years, subject to the provisions of the "No Early Release Act" (NERA) requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

He would also be under parole supervision for five years following his release from state prison.
If convicted on the weapons charges, Ruffin Jr. faces up to 10 years, with a mandatory minimum parole ineligibility of 42 months under the Graves Act.

The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Decker, Director of the Office’s Major Crimes Bureau.