Union County Store Owner's Death Still Unsolved 1 Year Later: Police Seek Help

RAHWAY, NJ — The murder of a Union County entrepreneur who was shot and killed in his Rahway sneaker store, remains unsolved one year later.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office is re-releasing video clips pulled from surveillance footage recorded just before the shooting took place in an attempt to identify the two gunmen.

Jamal Gaines, 21, was found inside his store in the 1500 block of Irving Street in Rahway at around 9:15 p.m. on Friday, February 26, 2016 suffering from a gunshot wound, and he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced.

The two alleged shooters, who covered their faces with fabric had entered the store through a rear utility door, resulting in a physical struggle that ended in the fatal shots being fired, according to joint investigation involving the Prosecutor’s Office’s Homicide Task Force, the Rahway Police Department, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office’s Identification Unit.

Following the shooting, the two suspects ran out of the building the same way they came in and can be seen on surveillance footage sprinting down a rear alley, with one of the two limping, authorities said.

The suspect with the limp appeared to be wearing dark pants, light-colored sneakers, and a dark hooded sweatshirt with a light-colored patch on the left arm.

The other suspect appeared to be wearing a lighter-colored hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and brown or beige shoes. Both had handguns.

Anyone with information about the shooting still is being urged to contact Homicide Task Force Sgt. Michael Manochio at 908-966- 2287 or Detective Sofia Santos at 908-577- 4256.

The Union County Crime Stoppers also are continuing to offer a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case; tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654- TIPS (8477), via text message by texting “UCTIP” plus a message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.uctip.org.

(Screenshots taken from video provided by Union County Prosecutor's Office)

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