New Details Emerge After Hillsborough Shooting and Subsequent Manhunt
Authorities in Hillsborough have released new details about a shooting near the Hillsborough Centre shopping area off Route 206, an incident that prompted five nearby schools to enter precautionary lockdowns on Tuesday. Officials emphasized that schools were never in direct danger, and the lockdowns were conducted solely out of caution.
Police say 19-year-old Dawan Jeter of Hillsborough is facing attempted murder and related charges after an individual reported that shots were fired in the parking lot of the shopping center. A motive has not yet been disclosed.
An affidavit obtained by Patch outlines the events leading up to the incident. According to investigators, the person Jeter allegedly fired at—who was not injured—was known to him and identified as a friend. Officers were called to the Chipotle parking lot around 1 p.m., where they found several spent shell casings. Witnesses reported seeing a man run across Route 206 shortly after the shots were fired.
Surveillance footage from a nearby store showed someone riding a scooter across the highway before moving out of view. Police say the man was later identified as Jeter, who was seen wearing a white backpack and running toward the Hillsborough Village Center apartments where he lives. The scooter was recovered at the scene.
Another witness with dash camera footage told officers they observed Jeter take out a handgun before firing multiple shots.
Police located the 19-year-old victim a short time later. The individual told officers that Jeter attempted to shoot him several times.
After obtaining a search warrant, police searched Jeter’s home but did not locate him. He later turned himself in at Hillsborough Police Headquarters around 5:45 p.m., carrying the same backpack seen in surveillance images.
During the hours-long search, district officials placed Hillsborough schools in a secure hold as a preventive measure. “This incident did not occur on any school property but elsewhere in the township. Our actions were strictly precautionary,” Superintendent Michael Volpe said.
Jeter now faces first-degree attempted murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree endangering another person.
Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at 908-231-7100 or the Hillsborough Township Police Department at 908-369-4313. Tips may also be submitted anonymously through the Somerset County Tip Line or the STOPit app.
