HILLSBOROUGH, N.J. – A quiet Somerset County neighborhood was shattered Thursday when police discovered two homicide victims inside a Cornell Trail home and shot a man armed with a weapon during the response, officials said.
Police discover two victims
At about 4:12 p.m., Hillsborough Township police were asked to check on the residents of the home, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald. Officers were initially unable to make contact, but at 6:24 p.m., they gained entry.
While searching the second floor, officers encountered an adult male with a weapon. A Hillsborough officer fired, striking the man, who was taken to a nearby trauma center and remains in critical condition.
Inside, investigators found two deceased victims — an adult male and an adult female — in separate bedrooms. Both were pronounced dead at the scene by Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital medical personnel.
Multiple agencies on scene
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, Crime Scene Investigations Unit, Hillsborough detectives, the New Jersey Northern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office, and the state Attorney General’s Office all responded.
Autopsies will be conducted to confirm the victims’ identities and determine their causes of death. The Attorney General’s Office is handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as required by state law.
Call for information
Prosecutor McDonald and police officials urged anyone with knowledge of the case to contact investigators. Tips can be submitted to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 231-7100, Hillsborough Township Police at (908) 369-4323, or anonymously via the STOPit app or Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477).
Key Points
- Two homicide victims were found inside a Hillsborough home Thursday.
- A man armed with a weapon was shot by police and is in critical condition.
- Investigators from multiple agencies are working the case; tips remain confidential.