A woman and a dog were found shot to death in an apartment in Little Egg Harbor Township early Saturday morning, authorities said.
Police responded to a 911 call at 5:10 a.m. from a woman who said she believed someone was breaking into her apartment on Whitemarsh Court, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Chief James Hawkins.
When officers arrived, they forced their way into the apartment and found the body of a 49-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to the face. A dead dog with apparent gunshot wounds was also found in the apartment.
Officers also discovered a 52-year-old man with an apparent gunshot wound to the head. The man was conscious when police arrived and was transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department responded to the scene for the purpose of conducting an investigation.
Preliminary investigation indicates that the man shot the female victim, and the dog, before turning the gun on himself.
The investigation remains active and ongoing but the identities of the man and woman have not been released.