Police shooting under investigation in Absecon
ABSECON – A police shooting Tuesday at a convenience store near a high school is under investigation, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
A statement issued around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday said the office has no details to release immediately. No police officers are reported injured in the incident, the office said.
It wasn't immediately clear who was shot or what their injuries are. Officials have not yet said what led to officers opening fire at the store.
More: Woman dies from gunshot wound in Pleasantville
Around 1:30 p.m., officers were seen collecting in a bag a weapon that had been on the ground in the parking lot of the Dollar General, on the 700 block of South New Road at West California Avenue, near Holy Spirit High School.
The incident did not occur at the school and no one there was injured.
Holy Spirit Principal Tom Farren said in an emailed statement the shooting happened around 10 a.m.
"The threat was not on the school campus but out of caution, once we were informed of the situation, we immediately followed our school safety protocol and went into lockdown," Farren said. "We communicated with our families and we were able to be in communication with police throughout.
Farren said the lockdown ended when authorities notified the school "the threat was neutralized," although a shelter-in-place continued.
"When we received the word that everything was cleared, we lifted the shelter-in-place and returned to our daily schedule," Farren said. "Students, faculty, and staff are all safe and no one on campus was at risk. I want to thank our students, faculty, and staff for their quick response to this situation, and for being attentive to our safety procedures."
At the scene, one woman said she did not hear gunshots but heard sirens. She thought it was a fire and said he never would have guessed it was a hooting at Dollar General.
“We send our kids to this store all the time,” she said.
A video posted to Facebook appears to show the shooting unfold.
In it, two or more officers can be seen moving slowly toward someone in the parking lot. The sound of gunfire can be heard and, after the shooting ceases, a person appears to have his hands in the air as he leans on the front of a vehicle. The person then drops to their back, again with hands in the air.
Under state Attorney General Guidelines, the Attorney General’s Office was notified to investigate. The office's Major Crimes Unit is on scene.
The office said more information will be released as it is available.
More: Millville police officer fatally shoots man outside home
The most recent fatal police shooting in South Jersey saw Millville police fatally shoot a man in early January. Before that, Vineland police shot and killed a 20-year-old Millville man operating a backhoe in an erratic manner in December.
In September, Mantua Township police found a “detailed” replica gun near the body of a 49-year-old Air Force veteran after shooting him.
In addition to the one in Millville, police in New Jersey have also killed at least three other people this year — one in Keansburg, one in Plainsboro and one in Edison, according to the Washington Post police shootings database. Last year, they killed at least 14 people; in 2020, they killed at least 10, according to the Mapping Police Violence project.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Help support local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: Investigation underway in Absecon NJ following police shooting
