N.J. borough councilwoman shot and killed while sitting in her car

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- A borough councilwoman in New Jersey was shot and killed while sitting inside her car Wednesday evening, prosecutors confirmed.

Eunice Dwumfour, a member of the Sayreville Borough Council, died after she was shot in the borough's Samuel Circle area, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said in a statement Thursday.

Sayreville Police Department officers responded to a 911 call at 7:22 p.m. EST and found Dwumfour, 30, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Dwumfour died from her injuries at the scene.

Her car traveled a few hundred feet after she was shot, eventually crashing into parked vehicles.

Sayreville Police chief Daniel Plumacker confirmed an homicide investigation is now underway.

"The fact that she was taken from us by a despicable criminal act makes this incident all the more horrifying," Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said in a statement.

"We are confident that our police department working collaboratively with the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office will bring this fast-moving to a quick and successful conclusion, and look forward to the identification, arrest, and successful prosecution of the person responsible."

Dwumfour, a Republican, was elected to a three-year term in 2021. She was reportedly driving home when she was shot. Citing police sources, WABC reported Dwumfour was the intended target of the shooting.

Dwumfour served on the Sayreville Human Relations Commission.

Authorities have not commented on a possible motive or publicly identified any suspects.

Tributes came pouring in from fellow lawmakers following the shooting.

"I am stunned by the news of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour's murder last evening in an act of gun violence," Gov. Phil Murphy, D-N.J., said in a statement Thursday.

"The New Jersey State Police are supporting the ongoing investigation, and I urge anyone with information to contact either the Sayreville Police or the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office."

"The tragic killing of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour in a shooting last night is shocking and horrifying. Her death is a terrible loss not just to her family, friends, and colleagues, but to the Sayreville community and our state," Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a statement.