South Jersey Mother, Man Dead in Apparent Murder-suicide

ELMER — The young mother of two children and her boyfriend were found fatally shot in their apartment Wednesday night in what authorities believe was a murder-suicide.

Elmer Borough police and State Police responded to a call from the grandmother of Shelbi Martin, 21, who reported shots being fired about 11:30 p.m. at an apartment on Park Avenue.

Police found Martin dead from a gunshot wound, according to State Police Lt. Ted Schafer.

Herbert Lopez, 21, was found with a single gunshot wound and was transported to Cooper University Health Care, where was he was pronounced dead about 1 a.m.

Schafer said the incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide but said the case remained under investigation as to timeline and motive of the shooting.

Two "very young" children were in the apartment at the time along with the grandmother, according to Schafer. He did not know if Martin was their mother or the relationship between Martin and Lopez.

A GoFundMe page created in to help with her funeral expenses said she was a mother of two children.  A Facebook post by Jordyn Martin who said he was Shelbi's uncle said Lopez was her boyfriend and said the children are safe.