BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, N.J. – A husband and wife were critically injured in a shooting Monday afternoon after their next-door neighbor opened fire before taking his own life, authorities said.
Police responded to a 911 call at approximately 4:45 p.m. and found both victims suffering from gunshot wounds at a residence on Drake Drive, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. The couple was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where they remain in critical but stable condition.
Investigators identified the shooter as John Adamo, 54, who first shot the male victim outside before firing into the home, striking the female victim. Adamo then retreated into his residence, leading to a standoff with law enforcement.
After a two-and-a-half-hour standoff, SWAT officers entered Adamo’s home and found him dead in an upstairs bedroom from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A pressure cooker was discovered in the room, prompting an evacuation of nearby homes, but a bomb squad later determined it was not an explosive device.
Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the attack.
