LAKEWOOD – A 39-year-old man has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder after fatally shooting two men in a Lakewood apartment building on December 19.
Around 7:20 a.m., officers from the Lakewood Township Police Department responded to an apartment complex on River Avenue regarding a report of shots being fired.
Before arrival, police dispatch provided a description of the suspect to officers on scene and they were able to locate the man matching the description in the front of the complex.
The man, identified as 39-year-old Tyshaun Drummond of Toms River, refused to comply with police and as a result was subdued by a department-issued Conducted Energy Device (CED).
Once inside the building, officers found two deceased bodies, later identified as Nicholas Hardy, 36, of Toms River, and Sergio Chavez-Perez, 32, of Lakewood.
According to police, both men were seen to have been shot in the head. Investigation revealed that Drummond was responsible for both of the victim’s deaths.
Drummond was charged with two counts of Murder, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon and Burglary. Currently, he’s in custody at a nearby hospital.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said that the incident is still under investigation. “The deaths of these two men are senseless and tragic. The responding Lakewood Township Police Officers should be commended for their bravery and their use of less than lethal force in taking Drummond into custody. They prevented a bad situation from getting worse,” Billhimer stated.
Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of all of the men and women from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their cooperative efforts in connection with this investigation resulting in Drummond’s apprehension.
