Two people were shot inside a hotel in Essex County on Friday. Police were at the Ramada Inn in Fairfield, trying to piece together clues as the investigation was underway. NBC New York’s Checkey Beckford reports.
Two people were shot, one of whom later died, in a midday shooting at a New Jersey hotel, according to police.
The gunfire broke out around 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Ramada Inn along Two Bridges Road off I-80 in Fairfield, police said. Police were called and found two people were shot.
One of the gunshot victims was taken to the hospital, where they died about an hour later. The second person shot was rushed to the hospital in critical condition and was undergoing surgery, officials said.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office said it appeared that a third person was involved in the shooting, and that individual may have pulled the trigger. Law enforcement said it did not appear to be a murder-suicide, and police were still searching for the shooter or shooters.
Hours after the shooting, the hotel was still roped off with crime tape. Other guests staying at the hotel said they initially couldn't leave, but found a way out to the parking lot — where they saw the police cars.
A motive for the shooting was not immediately clear. No arrests have yet been made, but law enforcement said there was no continuing threat.
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An investigation is ongoing.
