FREEHOLD, N.J. — A Monmouth County Grand Jury has returned a nine-count indictment against a Long Branch man in connection with a July 2023 shooting in Asbury Park that left one man dead and two others injured, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday.
Michael Sally, 19, was indicted on charges that include first-degree murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, and gang criminality. The indictment also includes two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, as well as charges for possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and receiving stolen property.
The incident occurred on the night of July 3, 2023, when Asbury Park police officers responded to a reported shooting at the Asbury Park Gardens apartment complex on Atlantic Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers found three adult male victims suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where two were treated and later released. The third victim, 21-year-old Lativity Lyons of Asbury Park, was pronounced dead at 10:50 p.m. A fourth individual, who was reportedly the intended target of the shooting, was unharmed.
An extensive investigation led by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Asbury Park Police Department identified Sally as a suspect. He was apprehended on June 5, 2024, in Long Branch by members of the Prosecutor’s Office, the Asbury Park Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Sally is currently being held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, where he remains incarcerated following a successful motion by the State to deny bail.
A second individual involved in the case has been charged as a juvenile, with their case pending in family court. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.