NJ councilwoman murder: Bystanders recall shots fired, unusual sound from car after crash

SAYREVILLE, N.J. – Neighbors of the New Jersey councilmember who was gunned down inside her car in the parking lot of a suburban apartment complex are shedding light on the events following the apparent execution.

Sayreville, New Jersey, Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, a 30-year-old mother, was shot and killed shortly after 7:20 p.m. Wednesday in her car within the parking lot of the Camelot at La Mer apartment complex, where she lived, police said. 

Neighbors at the tree-lined complex described to Fox News Digital how they heard several shots before Dwumfour’s white vehicle rolled several feet into multiple vehicles parked within the lot.

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Isaac Oppong, 59, learned late Wednesday from his wife that his vehicle, a silver-colored Mercedes sedan, had been hit. 

"There was a lady downstairs who knocked on the door and said, ‘Your car’s been hit. They just killed somebody … the person hit your car,’" he recalled to Fox News Digital. Oppong, who has lived in the complex for nearly two decades, said he was at work at the time but returned home around midnight to see the police presence in front of his building.

Oppong said his wife was watching TV around the time of the shooting and had not heard anything until the neighbor knocked on their door. 

"I was thinking about it all night," he said. He later added: "Nothing like this happens … If it can happen here. It can happen anywhere. Because around here, I haven’t even heard a gun … I’ve been here for probably 17 years. I haven’t heard any noise." 

Another man, who was in the apartment complex visiting family at the time, said he heard "six or nine shots."

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"When I heard the shooting, I told my cousin to get down," said the resident, who asked to remain anonymous. "I saw the car … rolled and slammed into those cars."

He said several police vehicles arrived within minutes and "were trying to break the window of the car. Obviously it was locked."

The man further described how Dwumfour was the only person in the car at the time. In the moments after her car crashed into the other vehicles, he could hear the sound of Dwumfour’s cellphone receiving several text messages in rapid succession. 

"I guess the phone was connected," he said. "So you kept hearing the phone notification go off, life a lot. Not like someone just randomly texting. It was more like, a lot of texting. Like dings, dings, dings, but you heard it through the car speaker."

He provided Fox News Digital with the aftermath of the crime scene, showing the white SUV that had careened into the other vehicles.

Travis Winfrey, 42, owns a nearby home that’s located within an adjacent complex. He said his girlfriend was home at the time when "all of a sudden, she just heard a ‘pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.’"

"She said it sounded like firecrackers," Winfrey said. "I came home at midnight and they were still out there, with caution tape and everything."

He said the community is typically "very quiet."

"Everybody knows everyone. People talk. Everybody’s friendly," he said. "It’s very, very peaceful."

The Mercer County Prosecutors’ Office said Dwumfour suffered "multiple gunshot wounds" and was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators have not released any new information about the case, and it was not clear as of press time if officials would be holding a press conference on Thursday. 

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Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick described Dwumfour as "a dedicated member of our Borough Council who was truly committed to serve all of our residents."

Glenn Skarzynski, business administrator for the Borough of Sayerville, told Fox News' Nate Foy that Dwumfour "worked very closely with our police, fire and EMS as a liaison to the council."

He said Dwumfour had a young daughter and was very involved with her church. 

"She was an amazing person, very gentle in her ways, very persuasive. And a woman that set a very high mark for herself with regard to values," he said. "I can't think of anything that she could have done or said that would have made her a target of such a heinous act."

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"As Mayor I have worked very closely with Eunice in her time on the Borough Council. Beyond her dedication to our community, I can share that she was a woman of deep faith and worked hard to integrate her strong Christian beliefs in to her daily life as a person and a community leader," Kilpatrick said. "On a personal note, I can’t adequately express my feeling of sorrow at the loss of a friend."

Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement he was "stunned."

"Her career of public service was just beginning, and by all accounts she had already built a reputation as a committed member of the Borough Council who took her responsibility with the utmost diligence and seriousness," he said. "I send my condolences to Councilwoman Dwumfour’s family and friends, her governing body colleagues, and the entire Sayreville community."

Fox News' Lawrence Richard and Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report. 

Stephanie Pagones is a Digital Reporter for FOX Business and Fox News. Story tips can be sent to stephanie.pagones@fox.com and on Twitter: @steph_pagones.