Eunice Dwumfour, a US Councilwoman from New Jersey, was killed in a car accident outside her home.

Eunice Dwumfour, a Republican city councilwoman from New Jersey, was fatally shot in her car outside her home on Wednesday night in what police believe was a premeditated attack.

According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, police in Sayreville, New Jersey, responded to a 911 call reporting gunshots fired outside an apartment complex.

Officers arrived to find an unresponsive woman in her Nissan SUV just outside her townhouse with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.

Although the victim has not been publicly identified by the Sayreville Police Department, prosecutors confirmed to The Washington Post on Thursday that Eunice Dwumfour, a 30-year-old Republican member of the Sayreville borough council, was killed in the shooting. The Sayreville GOP chairwoman also confirmed Eunice Dwumfour’s death on social media.

“My heartfelt condolences to Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour’s family,” Karen Bailey Bebert wrote on Facebook early Thursday. “May God grant you peace, and may God grant her soul rest.”

WABC in New York

According to WABC in New York, police believe Dwumfour was the intended target of the attack, but the motive remains unknown. As of early Thursday, no arrests had been made. Residents told RLS Media, a local news website, that they saw the gunman running toward the Garden State Parkway, which is not far from the shooting scene.

Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick Statement about Eunice Dwumfour

Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick (D) issued a statement in which she described the killing of Eunice Dwumfour as a “despicable criminal act.”

“Eunice was a dedicated member of our Borough Council who was truly committed to serve all of our residents,” Kilpatrick said. “The fact that she was taken from us by a despicable criminal act makes this incident all the more horrifying.”

The sentiments were echoed by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D), who urged anyone with information on her death to contact law enforcement immediately.

“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,” Murphy said in a statement posted to Twitter.

Police did not immediately respond to a request from The Post for comment early Thursday.

Eunice Dwumfour, who was a business analyst, IT professional and part-time EMT worker, had served on the borough council since 2022 after she scored an upset victory over her Democratic opponent.

She also served on Sayreville’s human relations commission.

She was a graduate of William Paterson University with a degree in women’s studies and also was the director of churches for an international ministry, Champions Royal Assembly, according to her LinkedIn profile.

When asked why she wanted to run for borough council in 2021, Dwumfour said she wanted to improve safety and infrastructure, as well as provide first responders with the resources they needed to respond quickly to emergencies.
“I hope voters understand that I would be truly honored and privileged to serve our town and its residents,” she told the local news site Tap Into Raritan Bay. “I am ready to collaborate with us to improve and strengthen Sayreville.”

Dwumfour had spent the previous seven years in Sayreville, New Jersey, about 35 miles outside of New York. She would not be re-elected until 2024.

As word of her death spread on social media early Thursday, colleagues and friends paid tribute to her, with one saying he was “shocked, scared, and heartbroken.” Dwumfour’s SUV was towed away, according to a video posted on social media by community organizer Charlie Kratovil. Police believe the vehicle crashed after Dwumfour was shot.

“I personally knew her to be a very kind person and public servant,” Kratovil tweeted, adding that her death was “a huge loss for the Sayreville community.”

In a news release, New Jersey Republican State Committee Chairman Bob Hugin expressed his “horror and deepest sorrow at the senseless violence” that killed Eunice Dwumfour.

“We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement will bring the perpetrators of this heartbreaking tragedy to justice,” Hugin said. “God Bless Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour and her family.”

Juan and Nelia Rodriguez, members of Sayreville’s human relations commission, said they couldn’t stop crying over the loss of their friend, whom they had seen at the store Wednesday morning.

“She was 30 years young and full of life,” they wrote on Facebook. “You will be missed my dear, precious friend.”

credit: Washington Post

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