Murder Charge For Man After Fatal Washington Twp. Apartment Complex Shooting: Officials

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Officials charged a Washington Township man with murder after a fatal shooting in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Wednesday morning.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office identified the victim as 39-year-old Victor Marrero Jr., who lived "a short distance" from the scene of the shooting outside the Birches Apartments on Fries Mill Road.

Officials said Marrero and Zachary A. Lahneman, who lives in the apartment complex, were in a physical and verbal altercation before the shooting. Washington Township officers found Marrero dead in the parking lot, officials said.

A witness identified Lahneman, 26, as the shooter to police, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office said. Detectives charged him with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and unlawful possession of a weapon. Officers arrested Lahneman nearby and took him to the Salem County Correctional Facility, according to the prosecutor's office.

The Gloucester County Medical Examiner's office confirmed Marrero's cause and manner of death to be a homicide by gunshot, officials said.

The shooting happened at approximately 10:26 a.m., police said.

Officials encourage anyone with additional information relevant to the investigation to contact Detective Krystal Santiago of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, at 856-384-5508, or Detective Frederick Volpe of the Washington Township Police Department, at 856-589-0330 ext. 1102.

Information can also be e-mailed to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us, officials said.