New Jersey councilwoman shot and killed in possible targeted attack outside her home

She was shot while inside her white SUV.

A 30-year-old woman found fatally shot in her Sayreville townhouse complex has been identified by local officials as Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour.

She was shot while inside her white SUV, which appears to have then crashed on Samuel Circle at around 7:22 p.m. Wednesday night, authorities said.

Councilwoman Eunice K. Dwumfour, of the Borough of Sayreville, N.J. Sayreville GOP

She sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. She lived in the townhouse complex where she was killed, just steps from her home.

She preliminarily appears to have been the target of the gunfire, but a motive for the shooting was not immediately disclosed.

Police at the scene in Sayreville, N.J., Feb. 2, 2023, where city councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour was shot and killed in her car outside her home. Charlie Kratovil/New Brunswick Today

Mahesh Chitnis, who serves on Sayreville's Human Relations Commission, posted on Facebook that the victim, who was also his neighbor, was "killed 300 feet from my home ... She was shot while returning back home. She was a woman full of life."

Hours later, her SUV was towed away by police, who did not say if a suspect was identified or an arrest was made.

Dwumfour was elected to the council in 2021 and worked as a business analyst and part-time emergency medical technician.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called Dwumfour's death "a shocking, shocking development" during a news conference Thursday, adding that he could not remember the last time a sitting politician was fatally shot in the state.

"I am stunned by the news of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour's murder last evening in an act of gun violence," Murphy said in a statement. "Her career of public service was just beginning, and by all accounts she had already built a reputation as a committed member of the Borough Council who took her responsibility with the utmost diligence and seriousness."

He added, "The New Jersey State Police are supporting the ongoing investigation, and I urge anyone with information to contact either the Sayreville Police or the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office."

Councilwoman Eunice K. Dwumfour, of the Borough of Sayreville, N.J. Borough of Sayreville

New Jersey Republican State Committee Bob Hugin called Dwumfour's murder "senseless violence."

"We will remember Eunice for her steadfast dedication to the community, as well as her deep and abiding Christian faith," Hugin said. "We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement will bring the perpetrators of this heartbreaking tragedy to justice. God Bless Councilwoman Dwumfour and her family."

The investigation is active and ongoing and anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call Detective Rebecca Morales of the Sayreville Police Department at 732-727-4444 or Detective Michelle Coppola of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office 732-745-3477.