Woodbury slaying was a holdup: Police
WOODBURY - A Woodbury man slain earlier this month lost his life in a holdup, authorities say.
The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office on Monday announced murder, felony murder and robbery charges against a Philadelphia man who's accused of fatally shooting 21-year-old Brandon Blanton on Jan. 4.
The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler McKinney, also is charged with weapons offenses in connection with the 2:40 p.m. incident.
An investigation remains ongoing, the prosecutor's office said.
Blanton was shot in the chest and torso as he sat in a parked car at Franklin and Wallace streets. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
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A witness told police that a man dressed in black approached the front passenger window of Blanton's car and the two men had a brief conversation, according to a probable cause statement for the charges against McKinney.
Another witness reported hearing three shots, then seeing a suspect run from the area, the statement continues.
Surveillance video showed a man running to a car in a parking lot on East Barber Avenue, and then throwing something into a nearby grassy area.
Blanton's phone was found there the statement says.
Investigators determined Blanton and McKinney had engaged in a call just before the shooting, the statement alleges. It says surveillance video showed the alleged gunman was using his phone as he approached Blanton's car.
In the wake of the shooting, Woodbury Police Chief Thomas Ryan described Blanton's death as "a random and senseless act of violence in our neighborhoods."
In a statement Monday, the police department thanked "residents and community leaders for your support and patience during this time as we were developing the case for prosecution."
"Woodbury is a tight-knit community with strong relationships to our officers. We will not let this incident define us but simply to build us as one," said the statement at the department's Facebook page.
McKinney is being held in Salem County Jail.
The charges against McKinney are only allegations. He has not been convicted in the case.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Prosecutor's Detective Brandon Cohen at 856-384-5524 or Woodbury Police Detective Corporal Nick Cacciola at 856-845-0065, extension 142.
Information can also be e-mailed to the prosecutor’s office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us.
Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Woodbury NJ: Brandon Blanton killed during holdup, police say
