NJ Teen Arrested: Facing Attempted Murder Charges in Ocean County Mall Shooting

Teen Facing Attempted Murder Charges in Ocean County Mall Shooting

According to the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, on March 26, 2026, a juvenile suspect has been charged with Attempted Murder, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, all in connection with an incident that occurred in Toms River on March 25, 2026.

Officers from the Toms River Township Police Department arrived at the Ocean County Mall on Hooper Avenue at around 8:10 p.m. on March 25, 2026, in response to a report of a male victim who had been shot.

A 17-year-old boy victim with a single gunshot wound to his face was found by responding officers. After being taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, the victim's condition is described as stable.

The victim was sitting in the common area of the Ocean County Mall when someone tried to start an altercation, according to an investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.

That person turned and fired several rounds in the victim's direction as he started to leave, one of which hit the victim in the face. After that, the gunman left the scene.

The shooting was carried out by a juvenile suspect, according to ongoing investigations. The youngster has been apprehended and is being held at the Ocean County Juvenile Detention Center.