BURLINGTON TWP., N.J. (KYW Newsradio) -- Authorities in Burlington County are investigating a Thursday night shooting outside of a Walmart that killed a 17-year-old boy and injured his father.
The store was open when shots were fired in the parking lot on Mt. Holly Road in Burlington Township, just after 10 p.m. Authorities say it doesn’t appear this was a random act.
On Friday morning, police tape marking off a large portion of the lot, shell casings and more than a dozen evidence markers on the ground, and cars with bullet holes told the story well enough.
As shopper Kelly Vaughn was entering the store Friday morning to pick up some groceries, she said she was surprised to learn what had happened.
"It’s a little shocking, and especially such a shame," she said. "Seventeen years old. What a waste of life. I feel for his parents. I feel so bad for his parents. It’s such a shame. I lost my daughter at 21 years old, and I understand their pain."
Authorities have identified the boy as Albert Williams. He died at the hospital. The 44-year-old man who was injured in the shooting, his father, Dione Williams Sr., is in stable condition. Both are from Hammonton.
"There’s crime around here," Vaughn said. "There’s not a lot of shootings around here that I’m aware of. I mean, you don’t see it in the news a lot, if there is, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one here. I mean, I’ve heard of robberies, pick-pockets, that kind of stuff, you know -- petty crime -- but nothing like this."
Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina says it appears this was a targeted attack, but he offered no details about what led to the shooting.
Investigators are looking at surveillance video to figure out what happened and who did this. No arrests have been made, and anyone with information is encouraged to call the Burlington Township Police Department at (609) 386-2019.