On Sunday, May 12, sudden explosions woke up an entire New Jersey neighborhood, as a home was engulfed in flames. Two people, a man and a woman, were reported dead at the time. However, following investigations, authorities have ruled that the deceased man shot the deceased woman dead in the head, and later he let the fire burn him alive.
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According to a statement issued by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, as reported by ABC News, the woman in question was found dead in a bed inside the Tranquility Court residence. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Her death was ruled a homicide.
The man, however, was found in the residence’s living room with a handgun near his body. He didn’t use the gun to end his life. His death was ruled a suicide by fire. Reportedly, the man also tampered with the residence’s gas line to fuel the inferno.
“The investigation conducted in the aftermath of the fire revealed the presence of an accelerant and that the home’s gas line had been tampered with, enabling unrestricted flow of natural gas into the home’s interior,” the statement read.
The identities of the deceased individuals are currently being withheld by authorities, pending confirmation on behalf of the medical examiner.
Fire Engulfs Crime Scene
According to NBC10, the incident took place at around 2 a.m. Neighbors reported hearing a loud explosion coming from the New Jersey residence. Authorities, however, clarified that the incident was a fire and that the explosion noises were heard after the residence was engulfed in flames.
“I was terrified, absolutely terrified,” neighbor Suzanne Pinto told the outlet. “Because, I never heard an explosion like that in my life and it just was, the house was, basically, burning to the ground very, very quickly.”
Fellow neighbor Jimmy Gibson called 911 almost immediately after hearing what he describes as a “real loud boom.”
“It was a real loud boom. It was loud. I said, ‘Something’s wrong,'” Gibson told ABC6. “The whole house was in flames already, that fast, as soon as the explosion happened. I called 911 as I was walking out the house.”
At the time, authorities stated that they believed that the fire was not accidental, which prompted a “criminal investigation.” This investigation, as said before, ruled that the incident was a murder-suicide.