Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw and Willingboro Township Police Chief Ian S. Bucs announced that a teenager has been charged with attempted murder after shooting at a person in the yard of a residence in the Garfield Park section of Willingboro Township.
The name of the defendant, a 16-year-old male, cannot be released because he is a juvenile. He was charged with Attempted Murder (First Degree), Aggravated Assault (Second Degree) Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Second Degree), Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose (Second Degree), Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Third Degree), Receiving Stolen Property (Third Degree), Aggravated Assault (Fourth Degree), Possession of a Firearm by a Minor (Fourth Degree), Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (Fourth Degree), and Possession of Armor-Piercing Ammunition (Fourth Degree).
The defendant was placed in a juvenile detention facility in Middlesex County pending a hearing in Superior Court in Mount Holly.
The investigation began the afternoon of July 25 after a resident of Garland Lane called police to report that someone had fired multiple shots from a moving vehicle at a family member who was in the front yard. The intended victim was not struck, but the residence was hit by gunfire.
The defendant, a Willingboro resident, was taken into custody at his residence on July 31 following the execution of a search warrant, which yielded a firearm and ammunition.
Prosecutor Bradshaw reiterated her commitment to combatting gun violence in the community.
“To those who think they can shoot up a neighborhood in the middle of the day and won’t be caught and prosecuted – you need to think again,” she said. “This reckless behavior is intolerable, and we will not allow it to go unchecked in Burlington County.”
The investigation was conducted by detectives from Willingboro Township and the Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and Crime Scene Unit.
All persons are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.