By: Tracie Carter
The Salem County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating a tragic Thanksgiving night incident in Penns Grove where a man died from a self-inflicted gunshot during an encounter with police.
Officials said the shooting happened shortly after 8 p.m. Thursday in a parking lot off Route 130, next to a Wawa and McDonald’s.
According to First Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey Barile, the individual “took his own life with a handgun” as officers approached.
Police from neighboring Carneys Point had responded to the Penns Grove location while following up on an incident that occurred earlier in their jurisdiction, Barile said.
Investigators have not provided details about that prior matter or what led them to the parking lot.
The man has not been publicly identified, and additional information is being withheld due to the ongoing investigation.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity and Accountability assigned the prosecutor’s office to act as the independent investigative authority in the case.
Penns Grove Mayor La’Daena Londo addressed the community in a Facebook post Thursday night, stating that the man stepped out of a vehicle and fatally shot himself as officers approached.
Authorities have not said whether there was any communication between the individual and officers before the gunfire.
The investigation remains active as authorities work to piece together the full circumstances surrounding the encounter.