Eunice K. Dwumfour, a 30-year-old congresswoman from Sayville, New Jersey, was shot and killed Wednesday night, officials said.
Authorities said they received a report at 7:22 p.m. of a shooting in Palin, an unincorporated neighborhood of Sayville, according to a statement from the Middlesex County Attorney’s Office. Officers from the Sayreville Police Department located the woman. Dwumfour was in her car with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities did not say if there were any suspects, nor did they provide any information on a possible motive. Investigation is ongoing.
“The fact that she was taken from us by a despicable crime makes this incident all the more horrific,” Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said in a statement.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he was “shocked” by the “acts of gun violence,” adding that Dwumfour “has built a reputation as a committed member of the borough council who has undertaken her duties with the utmost diligence and conscientiousness.” Responsibility.”
Sayreville is located about 30 miles south of Manhattan in Middlesex County and has a population of about 45,000.
Alexandra Bryan, who lives in a residential area next to the parking lot where the shooting took place, said she heard what sounded like fireworks just after 7 p.m.
“Twice, one after the other,” the woman said. said Brian, 40. “Five seconds apart.”
She went out Thursday morning to find damage to two cars parked at the site of the shooting. The car in which the congresswoman was shot appeared to roll over and crash into parked vehicles, other residents said.
“It’s a sad world,” Ms. Brian said.
“It’s a really nice complex,” she added. “Kids can play without their parents. It’s always quiet. That’s why it’s such a shock to everyone.”
Another neighbor said she often sees the congresswoman taking her husband and two children to church on Sundays.
Mrs. Dwumfour was elected to the Sayreville Borough Council in 2021 after she and another Republican candidate, Christian Onuoha, defeated two Democratic incumbents on a six-member committee. Her term is three years.
In a statement about her campaign on the Sayreville Republican website, Ms. Dwumfour said she loves and cherishes Sayreville and wants to help improve the lives of local residents. “I am fully committed to building a better and stronger Sayreville and with your support we can create a brighter future for our wonderful town,” she said.
Mrs. A graduate of Newark Public Schools, Dwumfour is a business analyst and a professional scrum master, a type of project manager, with a background in Maryland and Virginia, according to her LinkedIn profile. In 2017, she received a BA in Women’s Studies from William Paterson University in New Jersey.
Karen Bailey Bebert, campaign manager for Dwumfour, chair of the Selwell GOP, said in an interview Thursday that the congresswoman was an “inspiring woman” and she was delighted Can enter politics at a young age. She said she overcame the challenge “with courage and a smile”.
Mrs. Dwumfour, who has a daughter, “took up the challenge of this leadership position at a young age, and she set a great example for others: If you can see me, you can be me,” Bebert said.
Derek Bryson Taylor Contribution report.