Photo Credit: Milford Merchants Association For the second time in less than a week, an elected, New Jersey Councilperson was shot to death while sitting in a car. On Wednesday, 51-year old, Milford Councilman Russell Heller was shot to death in the PSE&G parking lot in Somerset County by a former, company employee. Heller was also a PSE&G employee. The man who killed him, 58-year old, Gary T. Curtis, was found several hours later with a self-inflicted, gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Last week, 30-year old Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds while sitting in a car, according to Middlesex County officials. Both victims were affiliated with the Republican Party, but according to CNN, police have not established any connection between the two shootings. Nor do they believe the shootings were politically motivated.
Somerset County Prosecutor John McDonald said this morning, “The investigation has revealed that the shooting of Mr. Heller was not politically connected with his elected office or political affiliation.”
With law enforcement officials saying political party affiliation had nothing to do with Heller’s murder, one must question what the motivation was for his shooting, and the murder last week of Councilwoman Dwumfour. And beyond that, what do these two incidents say about New Jersey gun laws?
Are New Jersey citizens truly safe in their own state, their own county, their own municipality?
The debate rages on.
