Longtime NJ Worker Shot, Killed Outside Trenton Home: Police

TRENTON, NJ — A longtime employee of the state’s Department of Children and Families died Saturday night after she was shot outside her home, according to authorities.

Vernetta McCray, 39, was shot outside her home on Hampton Avenue in Trenton Friday night, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

Trenton police found McCray on the front porch, bleeding from her head while responding to an alert of more than 20 rounds fired in the area, according to the prosecutor’s office.

She was taken to the hospital, where she died as a result of her injuries Saturday night, according to authorities. No arrests had been made in the shooting as of Monday morning.

The cause of the shooting was unclear, but in a statement issued Saturday night, Gov. Phil Murphy called it “a random act of gun violence.”

“Vernetta McCray has worked for the Department of Children and Families for over a decade, gaining the respect of her colleagues and serving countless children and families in Mercer County,” Murphy said. “This tragedy is yet another reminder of the toll that senseless gun violence takes on our communities. Our prayers are with Vernetta, her family, and her loved ones at this difficult time.”

McCray was on her way home from work when she was shot on her front porch, according to nj.com.