Police are investigating the murder of a Sayreville councilwoman shot dead in a car near her home Feb. 1.
The Sayreville Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour sustained multiple gunshot wounds at approximately 7:30 p.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene on Samuel Circle.
Neighbors told various media outlets that they heard six shots ring out followed by her SUV rolling down a hill in the townhouse development, stopping after hitting multiple parked vehicles. Residents said the shooting appeared to be targeted as the shooter stopped, opened fire and then drove away.
Neighbors Heard Six Shots
“I heard three shots and a pause, and three more shots,” said Pete Tresch, who lives in the same Camelot at La Mer townhome complex in the Parlin section of the borough. Another neighbor saw gunshots on the driver’s side and windshield of the SUV before it was towed.
Dwumfour, 30-years-old, started her three-year term in 2022 after she and fellow Republican Christian Onuoha won seats on the council by beating incumbent Democrats. A business analyst and part-time EMT, Dwumfour was a member of the city’s human relations commission before being elected.
“A Woman of Deep Faith”
Dwumfour was remembered by Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick as “a woman of deep faith and worked hard to integrate her strong Christian beliefs into her daily life as a person and a community leader.”
“Eunice was a dedicated members of our Borough Council who was truly committed to serve all of our residents,” said Kilpatric in a press statement. “That fact that she was taken from us by a despicable act makes this incident all the more horrifying…I can’t adequately express my feeling of sorrow at the loss of a friend.”
Federal, state and local officials offered their condolences as well.
Lawmakers React
“We will remember Eunice for her steadfast dedication to the community, as well as her deep and abiding Christian faith,” said New Jersey GOP Chairman Bob Hugin. “We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement will bring the perpetrators of this heartbreaking tragedy to justice.”
Middlesex County Republican Chairman Rob Bengivenga said Dwumfour “was a bright and shining young woman who deeply cared about her community as a public servant in Sayreville. She had a bright future ahead of her, and this senseless act of violence took that away from her and her loved ones.”
Gov. Phil Murphy said he was “stunned” and “heartbroken” by the news of Dwumfour’s murder “in an act of gun violence.”
Investigation Ongoing
“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,” said Murphy.
“The tragic killing of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour in a shooting last night is shocking and horrifying,” said Sen. Cory Booker. “Her death is a terrible loss not just to her family, friends, and colleagues, but to the Sayreville community and our state. My heart goes out to her loved ones and the entire Sayreville community in their time of pain.”
The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made, police said. Anyone with information 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 at 732-745-3477.
