Bridgewater, NJ – A routine call to a reported shooting turned into a major police investigation this week after officers discovered multiple firearms, drugs, and other weapons inside a Bridgewater residence. The Bridgewater Police Department said officers responded on January 21 to a home along U.S. Route 22 following reports of a possible shooting victim.
When police arrived, they found a deceased adult male inside the residence but quickly determined that no shooting had taken place. There were no visible signs of trauma, and the cause and manner of death remain under review by the New Jersey State Medical Examiner’s Office.
During their initial assessment, officers observed a firearm in plain view, prompting investigators to apply for and obtain a search warrant. Once the warrant was executed, police recovered several additional firearms, ammunition, edged weapons, and suspected controlled substances from a bedroom belonging to 38-year-old Lance Chillemi of Bridgewater.
- Police discover multiple firearms and drugs during death investigation
- 38-year-old Lance Chillemi charged with multiple weapons and drug offenses
- Deceased male found inside home; cause of death pending medical examiner review
Chillemi was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including four counts of certain persons not to have weapons (second degree), two additional weapons offenses (fourth degree), possession of a controlled dangerous substance (third degree), possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a prohibited weapon (third degree).
He was taken to the Somerset County Jail pending his first court appearance. The investigation into the death and recovered materials remains ongoing.
