Victims ID'd, More Details Revealed In Fatal South Jersey Mall Shooting

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, NJ -- Police have released the identities of two brothers who were shot in the parking lot of of a mall in South Jersey early Friday morning.

Demond Cottman, 20, of Atlantic City, was killed in a shooting outside the Macy’s at the Hamilton Mall in Atlantic County around 1:05 a.m, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton said early Friday afternoon.

An autopsy is pending.

His brother, 26-year-old Shadi Cottman, of Clayton, Gloucester County, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg in the same incident, Ruberton said.

He was transported to the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Division, where he remains in stable condition.

A silver SUV filled with bullet holes was taken from the scene, 6 ABC reports.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-909-7666. Witnesses may also contact the Hamilton Township Police Department at 609-625-2700.

The tragedy was one of several fatal incidents that happened across the state on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.

Read more: 6 Killed, 11 Injured In New Jersey On Thanksgiving, Black Friday

Demond Cottman was a standout track and field athlete and football player, according to The Press of Atlantic City. He graduated from Atlantic City High School in 2013. He graduated from basic training with the U.S. Air National Guard in 2014.

He was a football player at Absegami as of 2011. Below is a video of him playing against Absegami in 2013.

Earlier this year, he was charged with obstruction of justice after three teenagers were shot at the Trump Taj Mahal.

There was no indication that that incident had anything to do with Friday’s shooting. As of Friday afternoon, police didn’t provide any information about motive or possible suspects.

In 2013, Shadi Cottman was arrested on drug possession charges and eluding police in Gloucester County, and on drug charges in Atlantic County in 2014. He is also listed as an aspiring actor on exploringtalent.com.

The mall was closed at midnight and re-opened at 6 a.m., according to nj.com.

Many shoppers were unaware of the shooting later Friday morning. Nicole Farina, 32, of Ocean City, told The Press of Atlantic City she came to the mall at 6 a.m. with her 2-month-old baby and noticed the police.

"It's upsetting being local and hearing so many things that are going on in the area," she told the newspaper. "It makes you really kind of question your safety."

A fatal shooting originated in the same area over the summer. In August,five people were shot in an incident that began at Exit 12 on the Atlantic City Expressway, the same exit many visiting the area use to access the mall from the Expressway.