'Where do you go?' As residents worry, police seek info on Red Bank shooting
When Melissa Tillery woke up one July morning, her Red Bank apartment complex was surrounded by crime scene tape.
But the tape didn’t surprise her, and neither did the word of a shooting the night before.
Tillery, a resident at the Montgomery Terrace apartments for eleven years, said several shootings have happened since she’s lived there. Now, she’s ready to leave.
"With the housing market the way it is, where do you go?" she said.
Around 1:15 a.m. on July 25, Red Bank police reported a shooting incident that occurred on the 100 block of the Montgomery Terrace apartment complex, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago. Upon arrival, officers discovered one victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment and has since been released.
But now law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help in catching the shooter. Authorities are requesting anyone who may have information about the July shooting incident in Red Bank to come forward to assist law enforcement in confirming and discovering evidence, Santiago announced.
“We thank the public in advance for your selfless acts in providing information; in doing so, you are insuring that accountability and justice are served to those that violate our communities," he said.
Tillery was asleep when the shooting happened, and didn't know about it until she walked outside in the morning to get into her car. By then, the police had the entire area roped off.
"We couldn't even leave," she said.
Police reports have increased this year for Montgomery Terrace. There were 41 incident reports in both 2021 and 2022. As of August 11 this year, there have already been 43.
According to reports from the Red Bank Police Department, the most frequently reported incidents in the Montgomery Terrace area since 2021 are first aid, disorderly, and miscellaneous incidents. In those three years, only one assault incident was recorded, in 2023.
Tillery said she has kids that she worries about, especially with the way that stray bullets can fly right in front of their home. She's seen a lot of renovations and change to the surrounding areas, but not to Montgomery Terrace.
"It's a little sad how you see the changing around you and this little [part] is still the same," she said.
Several other residents declined to be interviewed.
Members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Bureau and the Red Bank Police Department continue to investigate the shooting, Santiago said. Anyone with information on this incident is urged to contact Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Joshua Rios at 800-533-7443 or Red Bank Police Detective Paul Perez at 732-530-2700.
Information about this or any crime can be anonymously submitted to the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers tipline at 800-671-4400; through the free P3 Tips mobile app or through the Crime Stoppers website
Jenna Calderón covers breaking news and cold cases in Monmouth and Ocean counties. Before coming to the Press, she covered The Queen City for Cincinnati Magazine in Ohio. Contact her at 330-590-3903; jcalderon@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: As residents worry, police seek info on Red Bank shooting
