Guilty! Toms river man convicted for double murder in lakewood

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Toms River man was found guilty on all charges, including two counts of murder, in connection with the 2021 shooting deaths of Nicholas Hardy and Sergio Chavez-Perez, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Tuesday.

Tyshaun Drummond, 42, was convicted after a nearly month-long jury trial before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan in Ocean County Superior Court. The jury determined that Drummond purposely or knowingly caused the deaths of Hardy, 36, of Toms River, and Chavez-Perez, 32, of Lakewood, in an incident that occurred on December 19, 2021, in Lakewood Township.

Drummond was also found guilty of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, and burglary. He is set to be sentenced on December 13, when he faces the possibility of life in prison, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Police responded to reports of gunfire at an apartment complex on River Avenue at approximately 7:20 a.m. on December 19, 2021. Officers located Drummond outside the complex matching the suspect description and subdued him using a Conducted Energy Device (CED) after he refused to comply with orders.

Inside the apartment, officers found Hardy and Chavez-Perez with fatal gunshot wounds to the head. Investigators from multiple agencies identified Drummond as the shooter, leading to his arrest.

“It has taken nearly three years, but justice has finally been served in this case,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement.

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