Police in New Jersey arrested two Millville men over the weekend in the shooting death of a Bridgeton man inside his home earlier this week.
After a brief police chase, police arrested Leon Saunders, 27, of E Pine Street and Edward Copes, 31, of E Broad Street in Vineland early Saturday near the intersection of 3rd Street and Luciano Drive, according to a release from Bridgeton Police Monday.
The two men are suspected of shooting 40-year-old Kevin Pierce during an apparent home invasion inside Pierce's Bridgeton, N.J. home on April 20.
Police say four invaders entered the victim's home on Horton Street around 10:00 p.m. Three of the four were armed, and only two were wearing masks, police said.
Cops say Pierce was taken into the basement of the home and shot three times. He died the next day at Cooper University Hospital in Camden.
His girlfriend, April Casper, 40, was held at gunpoint inside the home, but was able to escape the home after the shooting, police said. She was not injured. Her 8-year-old son was on the second floor of the home and also wasn't injured.
After the shooting Bridgeton Police Captain Michael Gaimari says police believe the victim was a target, but didn't mention why. “The investigation thus far has indicated that this was not a random home invasion and that we believe the victim possibly knew one or more of his attackers,” said Gaimari in a press release.
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The investigation into the shooting is ongoing and more arrests could still be made.
Bail was set of r Saunders and Copes at $1.5 million each. They both face murder, conspiracy and weapons charges.
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