A 14-year-old youth was shot and killed while getting gas at a local New Jersey service station at a station over the weekend.
Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said the investigation indicates that a vehicle reported stolen pulled up to the pumps of a township gas station shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday.
Willingboro Township Public Safety Director Kinamo Lomon said 14-year-old Jesse Everett was shot in the head just before 3 p.m. at the Phillips 66 gas station at Beverly-Rancocas Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, in Willingboro Township.
According to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, Everett, a Willingboro resident, was the driver of the stolen vehicle.
“The incident is not considered to be a random confrontation,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
“The investigation revealed that the victim pulled up to the pumps in a vehicle that earlier had been reported to police as stolen,” said a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office.
Authorities said a male gunman got out of the passenger side of another vehicle that pulled into the gas station, who approached the first vehicle and shot the 14-year-old victim in his head.
Authorities said Everett was initially taken to Virtua Willingboro Hospital and then flown to Cooper University Medical Center in Camden, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
Two other people in the vehicle with the victim were uninjured. Authorities said the shooting “is not considered to be a random confrontation.” No arrests were immediately reported.
If anyone has information about the slaying, please contact the Willingboro Police Department at 609-877-2200.