Deadly NJ Mass Shooting Update: Arrest Made, Victims ID'd

FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP, NJ — One person has been arrested and possibly more people are being sought in connection with a weekend mass shooting in New Jersey, authorities said Monday morning.

Authorities also identified the two victims as Kevin Elliott, 30, and Asia Hester, 25, both of Bridgeton.

The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said Kevin K. Dawkins, 36, of Bridgeton was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and other gun charges in connection with Saturday night's incident. He has been lodged in the Cumberland County Jail.

When asked if Dawkins was a suspect in the homicides, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said she was not releasing additional details at this time.

"This was not a random act of violence," Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said during a news conference Monday morning. "This was a targeted attack."

The other 12 victims — one of whom was in critical condition — range in age from 19 to 35, authorities said.

Multiple guns and shell casings have been recovered from the scene, Grewal said.

"We're working with our federal partners to determine where these guns originated from, and whether they can be linked to other recent acts of violence in the area," Grewal said.

The shootings took place at 11:50 p.m. Saturday at a residence on East Commerce Street in the Cumberland County community, according to the state police.

Earlier in the evening, state police had responded to reports of noise complaints at a home on King Drive in Fairfield Township, according to Col. Patrick Callahan, superintendent of New Jersey State Police.

Police believe that once that party broke up about 11 p.m., some of those partygoers ended up at the birthday party on East Commerce Street. About a half-hour later, a trooper who was conducting a traffic stop heard what he believed to be either fireworks or gunfire in the area, Callahan said.

"He immediately responded, as did troopers from Port Norris and the Bridgeton station," Callahan said. "At the same time that was happening, the 911 dispatchers started receiving phone calls with regards to the shooting. What we learned was that this was a birthday party that had turned deadly."

When troopers arrived on the scene, they discovered that a 30-year-old man and 25-year-old woman had suffered fatal gunshot wounds, police said. Many of the people who were at the party had already left by the time police arrived, Callahan said. Several hundred people were at the party, Webb-McRae said.

"Some were thankfully minor injuries, and those people have already been released from area hospitals," Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday morning. "Others continue to fight for their lives. Many others who were in attendance will carry the emotional scars of Saturday night, and we are working to ensure they have the mental health and social service support they will need to process and move forward. I thank in particular the staff and volunteers from Hopeloft here in Cumberland County for their efforts in this regard."

The party was a '90s-themed birthday party that included guests of all ages, NJ Advance Media reports.

6abc said the uncle of one of the victims was at the scene, saying his niece was a "good girl" and he was "absolutely heartbroken."

Friends on Facebook and other social media paid tribute to 25-year-old victim Asia Hester.

Anyone with information is asked to call the New Jersey State Police Bridgeton Station at 856-451-0101 or submit a tip via the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office tip website at www.njccpo.org/tips. Anonymous tips are welcome.

This is a developing story. Patch will have more information as it comes in.