Woman, Man, Dog, Dead in Little Egg Harbor, NJ, Murder-suicide

A gruesome discovery in a Whitemarsh Court home in Little Egg Harbor Township early Saturday morning: a man, a woman, and a dog were all shot.

Authorities are calling in a murder-suicide.

Here's how events unfolded early Saturday.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer Little Egg Harbor Township Chief of Police James Hawkins announced that Little Egg Harbor Township Police received a 911 call at about 5:10 AM. The caller stated that she believed that someone was breaking into her apartment.

When officers arrived on the scene they found a dead 49-year-old woman with an apparent gunshot to the face. They also found a dead dog in the apartment, with apparent gunshot wounds.

Finally, police found a 52-year-old man with an apparent gunshot wound to his head. He was still conscious and rushed to AtlantiCare Medical Center in Atlantic City. Police say he later died from his injuries.

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A news release states:

Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department responded to the scene for purposes of conducting an investigation. Preliminary investigation indicates that the male shot the female victim, and the dog, before turning the gun on himself. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

No other information has been released in the case - that includes the identities of the two people who are dead.

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