In the early hours of March 10, 2026, a tragic event unfolded in Berkeley Township, New Jersey. Police responded to reports of gunfire at a home on Fairwood Drive, where they soon discovered a heartbreaking scene involving a family torn apart by violence.
Inside the house, officers found Allan and Michelle Russell, a Jamaican couple aged 61 and 60, fatally shot. Nearby, three unharmed children were found safe. Further investigation revealed that Vaughn Stewart, 37, from Maplewood, had entered the residence and shot the Russells. Vaughn had been separated from his wife, Deonna Stewart, 38, who was also Jamaican and the mother of the three children.
After attacking the Russells, Vaughn chased Deonna down the street and shot her multiple times, killing her about 50 yards from the home. Vaughn then returned to the house and turned the gun on himself. He was found inside with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Ocean County Prosecutor, Bradley D. Billhimer, confirmed that the three children are now in the care of the Department of Child Protection and Permanency. This tragic incident is being investigated as a murder-suicide, leaving a community mourning the loss of four lives and hoping for healing for the surviving children.