Three have been reported dead in a shooting at a New Jersey supermarket on Friday morning. The suspect, believed to be an ex-marine, was among the dead, having turned his gun on himself after killing two of his co-workers.
The 23-year-old man ended his shift at the Pathmark at around 3:30 a.m., only return to the Old Bridge Township store about 30 minutes later, in military clothing. Armed with a handgun and AK-47 assault rifle, the man shot and killed Christina LoBrutto, 18, and Bryan Breen, 24, who were among the 12-14 employees still in the closed store.
“I do not believe that they were specifically targeted. I believe everybody in the store was a target,” said Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan. The two were believed to be the first spotted by the suspect, and after firing at least 16 rounds from the rifle, the suspect killed himself.
Though Kaplan chose not to release the suspect’s name, an anonymous law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press identified the shooter as Terence Tyler, an ex-marine who had been discharged in 2010. Marine spokeswoman Captain Kendra Motz confirmed that Tyler had been an infantryman from Brooklyn, and had never seen time overseas. She would not comment on the reason behind his discharge.
Tyler lived in the London Terrace apartments behind the supermarket, according to neighbor Maritza Hernandeza, whose daughter Miranda works at Pathmark. “The way he looked at me, he gave me an uneasy vibe,” said Miranda, 19.
She had normally worked the Thursday overnight shift, before allowing LoBrutto to take her place just weeks ago. “Right now, all I know is what keeps coming into my mind,” she said. “That could’ve been me.”
A vigil will be held on Friday at Old Bridge School for Breen and LoBrutto, who both had graduated from the school.
