18-Year-Old Charged With Attempted Murder In Hillsborough Home Shootings

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — An 18-year-old Hillsborough resident was arrested in connection with multiple gunshots being fired at Hillsborough homes last week, said authorities.

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Ryan Vandermeer, 18, of Falcon Road in Hillsborough, was charged with three counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun and three counts of third-degree endangering another person.

• Related: Multiple Bullets Fired At Hillsborough Homes, Police Investigate

On Sunday, Sept. 3, between the hours of 10:15 and 10:45 p.m., the back sliding glass door of a Robin Road home was hit and shattered by a low-caliber bullet, said Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Francisco Roman Jr., and Hillsborough Township Chief of Police Michael McMahon.

That same night, within the same time frame, the second-floor exterior of a Brookside Lane home was also struck by a low-caliber bullet, said authorities.

Both homes were occupied at the time of the shootings, and no injuries were reported.

On Tuesday, Sept. 5, at around 8:29 p.m., the back sliding glass door of a Gateway Boulevard home was hit by a medium-caliber bullet. This home was also occupied at the time of the shooting, and no injuries were reported.

As a result of this investigation by detectives from the Hillsborough Township Police Department and the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Major Crimes Unit, Vanderveer was identified as a suspect in the shootings.

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, a Superior Court search warrant was executed on Vandermeer’s home in Hillsborough where police found numerous firearms and ammunition which will be forwarded for further ballistic testing.

After being charged on Sept. 12, Vandermeer was taken to the Somerset County Jail where he was lodged pending a detention hearing in this matter.

Anyone with information relating to this investigation is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-231-7100, or the Hillsborough Township Police Department at 908-369-4323, or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smartphone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ.

Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports, and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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