Atlantic City, NJ, Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder

An Atlantic City man is now facing over a decade behind bars in connection with a shooting in the World's Play Ground in 2024.

This past Monday, 31-year-old Eric Melton pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree attempted murder, one count of second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, and one count of third-degree hindering his own apprehension.

Shooting Incident in Atlantic City

On the evening of October 12th, 2024, officers with the Atlantic City Police Department responded to an apartment complex in the area of the 1300 block of Caspian Avenue, where they found two men who had been shot.

Through a review of surveillance video and witness interviews, authorities identified Melton as the shooter.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says video from multiple locations showed that Melton followed the victims on foot for several blocks before pulling out a handgun and shooting at them approximately seven times in the courtyard area of the apartment complex.

Four days later, the ACPD stopped Melton and he gave investigators a false name to avoid arrest, but he was later properly identified.

At the time of the shooting, he was pending sentencing on drug distribution charges to the Atlantic County Recovery Court Program.

• MORE NEWS: South Jersey Man Sentenced to 11 Years on Drug, Gun Charges

Expected Sentencing

Melton remains incarcerated in the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending his sentencing, which is scheduled for May.

Under the terms of a plea agreement, he is expected to be sentenced to 12 1/2 years in state prison and will be required to serve about a decade before being eligible for parole. Once released, he will be under three years of strict parole supervision.

This matter was investigated by the Violent Crimes Unit of the Atlantic City Police Department with assistance from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.

Chris Coleman, a South Jersey native, is the brand manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM and afternoon on-air personality on WPUR Cat Country 107.3 in Atlantic City, NJ. He joined the station in February 1998 and covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey for Townsquare Media. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com