Eunice Dwumfour, a Republican city councilwoman from Sayreville, New Jersey, was found dead in her car.
WABC-TV New York reports authorities found the 30-year-old with several gunshot wounds outside her home.
The councilwoman was found in her car around 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Police suspect her vehicle moved around 100 feet before it crashed into two parked cars. According to NJ.com, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities also believe Dwumfour may have been the target of the fatal shooting, WABC-TV reports. However, they don’t yet have a motive as Sayreville Police and Middlesex County officials investigate. No one has been arrested.
News of the councilwoman’s passing has shaken the community. When addressing the incident, Gov. Phil Murphy said he couldn’t remember the last time a New Jersey politician had been shot while in office.
“It’s just a shocking, shocking development,” he said, according to ABC 7.
New Jersey Republican Chairman Bob Hugin also responded to Dwumfour’s passing.
“On behalf of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, I would like to express our horror and deepest sorrow at the senseless violence that claimed the life of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour,” he said in a statement, ABC 7 reported. “We will remember Eunice for her steadfast dedication to the community, as well as her deep and abiding Christian faith.”
Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick expressed how sad the community is by the loss.
“Eunice was a dedicated member of our Borough Council who was truly committed to serve all of our residents. The fact that she was taken from us by a despicable criminal act makes this incident all the more horrifying,” she said, according to ABC 7. “As mayor I have worked very closely with Eunice in her time on the Borough Council. Beyond her dedication to our community, I can share that she was a woman of deep faith and worked hard to integrate her strong Christian beliefs in to her daily life as a person and a community leader. On a personal note, I can’t adequately express my feeling of sorrow at the loss of a friend.”
NJ.com reports if you have information regarding what happened to Councilwoman Dwumfour, the Sayreville Police Department urges you to contact Detective Rebecca Morales at 732-727-4444 or Detective Michelle Coppola of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-3477.
