Two men were fatally shot in separate homicides occurring in Elizabeth Tuesday night, and each incident is under investigation, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park and Elizabeth Police Chief Patrick Shannon announced Wednesday.
It was approximately 10:10 p.m. on Tuesday when police were notified of the first shooting, which occurred on the 200 block of Third Street in the city’s Elizabethport section. Arriving officers encountered the victim, 39-year-old Alonzo L. Gordon of Elizabeth, who had been sitting on the front steps of a building when an unidentified suspect approached and fired a handgun at him at close range.
Gordon was subsequently transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
About 30 minutes after the first shooting, police were notified of a second incident that occurred near the area of Cherry and West Jersey streets. Arriving officers encountered the second shooting victim, 20-year-old Allens Exilus of Roselle, and transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
As of midday Wednesday there was no known evidence indicating that the two incidents were related.
Both shootings remain under joint investigation by the Union County Homicide Task Force and the Elizabeth Police Department.
Anyone with information about the death of Mr. Gordon is being urged to contact Union County Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Kevin Grimmer at 908-447-3777 or Detective Johnny Ho at 908-403-8271.
Anyone with information about the death of Mr. Exilus is being urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Sgt. Jose Vendas at 908-358-3048 or Detective Janet Lopez at 908-347-8491.
The Union County Crime Stoppers also are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in either of these cases; tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477), via text message by texting “UCTIP” and a message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.uctip.org.
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