Two men were fatally shot late Wednesday night outside a 7-Eleven and Valero gas station in Bordentown Township, authorities said.
The suspects remain at large after crashing a vehicle in nearby Florence Township.
The shooting occurred around 11:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the convenience store at Route 130 and Farnsworth Avenue, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw and Bordentown Township Police Officer-in-Charge Lt. Frank Nucera III.
Police were called to the scene after one of the victims, a 22-year-old man, walked into the store after being shot and asked for help. He collapsed just outside the entrance and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second victim, a 21-year-old man, was found nearby and transported to a Trenton hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Their names have not yet been released pending notification of relatives.
Investigators said preliminary findings indicate the shooting was not a random act. A motive has not been determined.
On Thursday morning, detectives and crime scene investigators were seen working around the gas station lot, which remained cordoned off with police tape, media reports said.
Evidence markers were placed under and around a red pickup truck that had been left running at the scene. Authorities have not confirmed how the truck was connected to the shooting, but it appeared to be a focus of the investigation.
A witness who spoke to NBC10 said they heard two or three gunshots ring out around the time of the incident. Police and emergency personnel responded within minutes after multiple 911 calls were received reporting gunfire at the busy intersection.
Following the shooting, investigators said the suspects fled the scene in a Jeep that later crashed in Florence Township. When officers located the vehicle, the occupants had already fled on foot and remain at large.
The Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation is being handled jointly by its Major Crimes Unit, the Bordentown Township Police Department, the Florence Township Police Department, and the New Jersey State Police.
Local officers and county detectives were seen canvassing nearby businesses and reviewing surveillance footage from the gas station and surrounding properties.
The Prosecutor’s office said that an initial report was that one person had been stabbed in the incident. “That information is inaccurate and was not provided by this office.”
In a statement Thursday, Bordentown Township officials expressed sympathy to the victims’ families and thanked first responders for their professionalism during what they described as a tragic and unsettling incident.
“The Bordentown Township Police Department and its law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice,” township officials said.
Authorities have urged anyone with information that may assist investigators to contact Burlington County Central Communications at 609-265-7113 or email tips@co.burlington.nj.us.
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