Absecon, NJ man indicted for shooting inside of Dollar General store this summer
An Absecon man who opened fire inside of a Dollar General store earlier this year has been charged and indicted in Atlantic County.
The charges and court ruling were announced by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
Jalial Whitted, 38, of Absecon faces up to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison, according to the ACPO, after he was indicted by an Atlantic County Grand Jury on the charges of 2nd degree Unlawful Possession of a Handgun, 2nd-degree Possession of a Firearm for an Unlawful Purpose, and 2nd degree Certain Persons not to Possess a Firearm.
This all stems from a May 24 incident at Dollar General on the 700 block of New Road where Whitted walked in, showed off his handgun, and started opening fire inside the store.
Absecon and Pleasantville Police arrived around 9:35 am that morning, according to the ACPO, and reviewed video surveillance showing that Whitted showed the gun inside which led to employees leaving the store.
The ACPO said that Whitted discharged at least one round of shots inside the store after employees fled and he sustained gunshot wounds in an ensuing interaction with responding police officers.
"As per New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines, the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) was notified on the day of the incident."
Due to the police-involved shooting, the ACPO adds that "the DCJ has designated the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office as the Independent Investigative Unit for the shooting with the Attorney General’s Office of Public Integrity & Accountability acting as the Independent Supervisory Reviewer."
Assistant Prosecutor Elizabeth White represented the State in this case.
If you have any information on this shooting or other local crimes, you're asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800.