A court order was in place before the fatal shooting inside a Woolwich Township home
WOOLWICH TOWNSHIP, NJ – A 41-year-old mother of four was found shot to death inside her home after an ex-fiancé allegedly ignored a restraining order and opened fire before turning the gun on himself, according to authorities and court records.
Police were called in the early morning hours of March 28 to a residence on the 300 block of Broad Street, where they discovered Tomeka Kamwani dead from gunshot wounds. The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was also found dead at the scene from what officials described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Family members later identified the victim through a fundraising page, describing Kamwani as a devoted mother whose life centered on her children.
Restraining order and prior arrest detailed in court proceedings
According to NJ.com, the suspect had been arrested weeks earlier in February after allegedly assaulting Kamwani. Prosecutors said he punched her in the face, refused to leave her home, and threatened to kill her if she contacted police.
“She claimed that the defendant laughed and said she needs to put more locks on the door and showed her a card that he used to break into the residence,” the prosecutor said, according to a recording of the bond hearing obtained by NJ.com.
Kamwani had obtained a restraining order about a week before that arrest. Despite the alleged violation and the prosecutor’s request to detain him, a judge allowed the suspect to be released on bond under conditions that he have no contact with her.
Reports indicate the suspect later entered Kamwani’s home and shot her three times. Two of her children were inside the home at the time but were not physically injured.
Community mourns victim as family speaks out
A GoFundMe page created for Kamwani’s children described the loss as devastating for her family and community.
“On Saturday, March 28, our community lost a beautiful soul, Tomeka P. Kamwani (Brooks), to domestic violence,” the page states. “A loving mother, daughter, sister, and friend, Tomeka’s life was taken far too soon, leaving behind the center of her world, her four children.”
The description continued, “Tomeka was the kind of mother who poured everything into her children. They were her joy, her purpose, and the reason she showed up every single day with strength and love.”
Family members held a vigil in her honor in the days following the killing. Her aunt, Barbera Brooks Faltz, expressed disbelief over the violence.
“It’s a shame he had to do that. That’s about all I can think about: Why would he want to do that? People break up,” Faltz told WCAU. “We thought he was a good person and when this happened, I couldn’t believe it and I still don’t want to believe it.”
