Atlantic City Man Gets 12 ½ Years for 2024 Double Shooting

Atlantic City, N.J. — A man from the World's Play Ground has been sentenced to just over a decade behind bars in connection with a double shooting in 2024.

After pleading 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, on Monday, 32-year-old Eric Melton of Atlantic City was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in state prison.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said on the evening of October 12th, 2024, the Atlantic City Police Department responded to an apartment complex where they found two men who had been shot.

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

Surveillance 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 after the shooting, ACPD officers stopped Melton in relation to the investigation. They say he gave officers a false name to avoid arrest, but was ultimately identified.

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

Melton will be required to serve 85 percent of his sentence, or just over a decade, under the state's No Early Release Act. Once he is out, he will be under fiver years of parole supervision.

Chris Coleman is a South Jersey native and has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City radio market since 1998. He serves as Brand Manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 and afternoon on-air personality for Cat Country 107.3. A five-time President's Circle award winner and Townsquare Media's 2024 Content Creator of the Year, Chris covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com