GLOUCESTER COUNTY, N.J. — A 19-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly firing multiple shots at a car, striking a passenger in the neck during a shooting Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.
Jasheir T. Hawkins of Penns Grove was taken into custody later that day and charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder, along with two second-degree weapons offenses, according to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.
Officers with the Woodbury Police Department initially responded to reports of gunfire in the area of North Evergreen Avenue but did not locate any victims at the scene, authorities said.
Shortly afterward, a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck arrived at a nearby hospital. Investigators found the vehicle involved still running outside the hospital, and security footage showed the driver fleeing the scene on foot, officials said.
Detectives learned that earlier in the day, the driver had been involved in a physical altercation with Hawkins at the Woodlake Apartments. Investigators said Hawkins ran into a wooded area behind the complex, prompting the two men to leave in the car.
Authorities said that moments after arriving at his home, the passenger heard gunfire and was struck in the neck. He reportedly ducked into the backseat while the driver rushed him to the hospital.
A 911 caller who witnessed the shooting provided a description of the gunman, leading investigators to identify Hawkins as the suspect. He was later arrested in Mount Ephraim without incident, officials said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
