Crime & Safety

Lakewood Shooting Victims ID'd; Police Still Searching For Shooter, Answers

What prompted the shooting and possible suspects remain under investigation, police said.

LAKEWOOD, NJ — Lakewood police have identified the four people who were shot Saturday night during a gathering at a sports complex in Lakewood.

Detective Lt. Gregory Staffordsmith said Jermeler Sample, 29, and Jerry Lee Dorsey, 53, both of Lakewood, were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune Saturday night. Sample, whose age was originally given as 30, was shot in the abdomen, while Dorsey was shot in the leg.

Dajuan Morris, 24, of Lakewood and Curtis Alexander, 28, of Englishtown, both suffered gunshot wounds to the leg, Staffordsmith said, and were being treated at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood. All four were expected to survive, he said.

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Police were called about 9:40 p.m. by an unidentified woman who said she was bringing a victim to the Lakewood hospital following a shooting at the sports complex on Brook Road, Staffordsmith said. As police were en route to the sports complex and the hospital, they received a call from Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus staff that several shooting victims had been brought to the hospital, Staffordsmith said.

In the emergency room police learned Sample, Dorsey and Morris all had been brought in to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus; Sample and Dorsey were transferred to Jersey Shore, Staffordsmith said.

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Police who went to the sports complex found Alexander with a gunshot wound to the leg and had Lakewood EMS take him to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus.

Details on the events surrounding the shooting continue to be investigated, Staffordsmith said. Police who responded to the complex arrested one man, Jahquan Fenn, 25, of Lakewood, who was a passenger in a vehicle that was trying to leave the scene. Staffordsmith said Fenn was arrested after officers discovered a firearm he was trying to hide under his leg.

Another firearm was discovered on the ground at the sports complex between two parked vehicles, he said, and police found a third firearm in a car that was abandoned at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus after apparently being used to transport one of the victims, Staffordsmith said.

Two women — Donaysha Peace, 21, of Waretown and Sanaya Smuoone, 20, of Lakewood — were both charged with the possession of a controlled dangerous substance by police who were interviewing witnesses at the sports complex, Staffordsmith said.

No one has been charged with that at this time, Staffordsmith said.

Assisting with the investigation are the Monmouth Medical Southern Campus Hospital Office of Security and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department Crime Scene Investigation and K9 Units. Additional support was received from both the Howell Township and Jackson Township police departments, he said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Oscar Valmon at 732-363-0200 ext. 5347, he said.

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