4 Dead as 16-Year-Old Boy Opens Fire on New Year’s Eve, Prosecutors Say

A 16-year-old boy allegedly used a semi-automatic rifle to kill four people, including his father, mother and sister, inside their New Jersey home, with minutes to go until New Year’s Day, prosecutors said Monday.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released, is accused of gunning down his three family members and another family friend, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said in a news release.

Police arrived at the family’s Long Branch home after receiving a 911 call about gunshots Sunday at 11:43 p.m. They found the bodies of the suspect’s 44-year-old father Steven Kologi, 42-year-old mother Linda Kologi, 18-year-old sister Brittany Kologi, and a 70-year-old friend of the family, Mary Schultz.

The suspect’s grandfather and brother were also in the house during the time of the shooting, but they escaped without any injuries, according to the Asbury Park Press.

The suspect was taken into custody, the prosecutor said. He faces charges of murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, the Park Press reported.

His motive is unclear. Authorities said the killings were an “isolated domestic incident.”