A 16-year-old gunman killed four family members in a brutal New Year’s Eve slaying at their central New Jersey home, officials said.
The suspect, whose identity hasn’t been released, used an assault rifle to kill his parents — Steven, 44, and Linda Kologi, 42 — as well as his 18-year-old sister, Brittany, and a 70-year-old family friend inside the family’s Long Branch home late Sunday, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni.
His brother and grandfather both survived the attack uninjured, he added.
The teen was arrested without incident, the prosecutor said, but it’s unclear if he was armed at the time.
“Thankfully it was uneventful,” Gramiccioni told reporters Monday morning, just hours after the shooting. “It didn’t require any force.”
Police have recovered the weapon they believe was used, which Gramiccioni described as a semi-automatic rifle.
It wasn’t clear if there were other weapons inside the home, Gramiccioni said.
“That’s not what I’m hearing at this time,” he said.
The 16-year-old gunman will be charged as an adult later Monday with four counts of murder as well as one count of possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes.
Police described the 70-year-old victim, Mary Schultz, as a family friend who also lived in the home.
Long Branch is located on the Jersey Shore and has a population of roughly 30,000.
This is a developing story and will be updated
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