Less than 20 minutes before bringing in the New Year, an autistic New Jersey 16-year-old used a semiautomatic rifle to shoot and kill his mother, father, older sister, and grandfather’s partner inside their Long Branch home, according to reports.
The teen, whose name has not been disclosed, will be charged with four counts of murder and a weapons offense, CBS reports. He was apprehended without issue Sunday (Dec. 31) and is expected to make a court appearance Tuesday (Jan. 2).
Prosecutors are considering whether to move the case to adult court, although the teen does not have a criminal history. The motive behind the shooting is still unknown. The gun used in the murder was legally registered to a resident of the house, reports say.
The victims were identified as the teens parents, Steven Kologi, 44, and Linda Kologi, 42; his sister who was a first-year student at Stockton University, 18; and 70-year-old Mary Schultz, who lived with the family. The teen’s grandfather and brother were not targeted and escaped unharmed.
A family friend launched a GoFundMe page to raise money for the family’s funeral expenses.