Third Fairfield Township Shooting Victim Dies, Second Person Charged
A 19-year-old woman from Millville is now the third person to die in a mass shooting at a birthday party this past weekend in Fairfield Township, Cumberland County.
Officials with the New Jersey State Police say Braylin Holmes succumbed to her injuries sustained in the shooting and was pronounced dead Monday evening at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.
Meanwhile, troopers have also announced that 30-year-old Darrell Dawkins of Bridgeton has been arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a handgun. Cops say Dawkins, "was at a party at a private residence when the shooting occurred." Their investigation, at this time, does not reveal that Dawkins is a suspected shooter at the party.
36-year-old Kevin Dawkins, also of Bridgeton, was arrested shortly after the shooting. He has been charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, possession of a high-capacity magazine, and certain persons not to possess weapons. Kevin Dawkins has not been charged with killing or injuring any victim.
Just before midnight last Saturday night, state troopers responded to reports of multiple shots fired at a home on East Commerce Street in Fairfield Township where a birthday party was being held. WPVI-TV reports, "Someone emerged from the woods and started firing." 30-year-old Kevin Elliott and 25-year-old Asia Hester, both of Fairfield Township, were shot and killed while 12 other adult victims were also wounded by gunfire. The party had attracted "hundreds" of people, according to Gov. Phil Murphy, who called the shooting "horrific" in a statement released Sunday morning. Authorities said the shooting was a targeted attack but they have not publicly said whether the shooting was gang-related.
Anyone with information about this mass shooting is asked to contact the New Jersey State Police Bridgeton Station at (856) 451-0101 or submit a tip via the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office tipline. State Police have also setup a platform where people who may have captured cell phone video of the incident can upload files to.
With previous reporting from Townsquare Media's Dan Alexander and Erin Vogt.