Eunice Dwumfour Sayreville councilwoman shot dead in car outside of her NJ home: was her murder politically motivated? No arrests, suspect seen fleeing.
A Sayreville councilwoman was found shot and killed in her car on Wednesday night as investigators now seek to discover who shot the New Jersey local politician and whether her shooting death was politically motivated.
Eunice Dwumfour, 30, a Republican councilwoman was found inside her car with multiple gunshot wounds outside her front door residence on Samuel Circle just before 7:30 p.m., officials said according to ABC7NY.
Police say they believe she was the intended target of the shooting, but do not have a clear motive. Cops said Dwumfour was shot multiple times while inside her white SUV, which then crashed in her townhouse complex just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Witnesses claim that the suspected gunman was spotted racing away from the Camelot at La Mer apartment complex, and a 911 call was placed at 7.22pm.
The Republican councilwoman was elected to the council in 2021. She was also a business analyst and part-time EMT and at the time of her death worked for a Nigerian-based church group.
Upset political win
The young mother ousted the sitting Democrat in the Borough of Sayreville in November 2021, in a shock election win and was not up for reelection until 2024.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Dwumfour was also director of churches for an international ministry, Champions Royal Assembly.
As a councilwoman, Dwumfour was the liaison to Public Safety, which includes police, fire and EMS, as well as liaison to the Sayreville Human Relations Commission. She also served on the Public Works and Recreation committees.
Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick a Democrat said Dwumfour 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.
‘Eunice was a dedicated member of our Borough Council who was truly committed to serve all of our residents. The fact that she was taken from us by a despicable criminal act makes this incident all the more horrifying,’ Kilpatrick said in a released statement.
‘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. On a personal note, I can’t adequately express my feeling of sorrow at the loss of a friend.’
Word of the killing spread quickly overnight through the political community in the state, which has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, with Sayreville regarded as a tight-knit, and safe community.
No arrests as authorities investigate
Sayreville Republican Chair Karen Bailey Bebert in a statement said: ‘We remember Eunice for how she lived, not for how she died.
‘She was the embodiment of Sayreville, living the American Dream, overcoming challenges with grit and a smile.
‘And always giving of time and love to others. She embodied Sayreville and will be terribly missed by all who were fortunate enough to know her.’
Currently there have been no arrests in the case, with Sayreville Police and Middlesex County officials investigating the incident.
Sayreville is about 35 miles southwest of New York City and about 65 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
