CRANBURY PRESS: Two charged in East Brunswick shooting

By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer
   A Jamesburg and a Monroe resident were charged in connection to a shooting that occurred March 9 in an East Brunswick park.
   According to police, a 17-year-old Monroe resident is facing an attempted murder charge after area law enforcement agencies identified him as the alleged shooter. In addition, Raymond Horn Jr., 18, of Jamesburg, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of hollow point bullets, according to police.
   East Brunswick police responded to a report of a possible shooting after coming into contact with three individuals at a CVS, who claimed to have been shot at while driving away from Bicentennial Park, on Riva Avenue, at approximately 8:30 p.m., according to the department’s press release.
   The victims, two adults and one juvenile male, all East Brunswick residents, told officers they had been in the park and were about to engage in a fight with another group as a result of an ongoing conflict between two other individuals.
   While the three victims, whose identities are being withheld to ensure their safety, were in their vehicle, one of them spotted and alerted the others someone from the rival group had a gun, the release states.
   The driver reported hearing one shot, which reportedly struck the front driver-side door of the victim’s vehicle as they were leaving, according to the release.
   No one was injured during the incident, it stated.
   Upon arrival at the park, officers discovered broken glass from a vehicle and a spent shell casing. Police later recovered the weapon allegedly used in the shooting, a .49 caliber Smith and Wesson semiautomatic handgun.
   Between information provided by the victims, follow-up interviews and assistance from the Jamesburg Police Department, officers were able to identify three suspects believed to be involved in the shooting, the release stated.
   All three suspects were arrested March 10.
   According to the release, police charged the Monroe minor believed to be the shooter with attempted murder, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes. He was taken to a juvenile detention center in North Brunswick.
   Officers took Mr. Horn to the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center where he was being held on $10,000 bail.
   A third suspect, 19-year-old Erica Freire of East Brunswick, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon after police learned she drove the other two suspects to the park, the press release stated. Ms. Freire was released and given a court date.
   Anyone with additional information concerning the incident is encouraged to contact Detective Edward Conlon of the East Brunswick Department of Public Safety’s Investigation Division at 732-390-6990.