BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ – A quiet New Jersey neighborhood was rocked by violence Monday when a man allegedly opened fire on his next-door neighbors before turning the gun on himself, according to local authorities.
Police say John Adamo, 54, shot Tom Kwatkoski outside his home and then allegedly fired at Kwatkoski’s wife, Jill, while she was inside. Berkeley Township police were alerted around 4:45 p.m. about two gunshot victims and arrived to find the couple critically injured. Both were rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where they remain in critical but stable condition.
Law enforcement teams surrounded Adamo’s residence, urging him to surrender. After more than two hours without contact, SWAT officers entered the home, discovering Adamo deceased from what law enforcement says appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police conducting a sweep of Adamo’s residence discovered a pressure cooker, prompting an evacuation of the nearby area over fears it might be an explosive device. However, the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad later confirmed it posed no threat.
The incident has shed light on a long-standing neighborhood feud. Neighbors reported ongoing tensions between Adamo and the Kwatkoskis, which included a series of surveillance cameras and signs posted between their properties.
One neighbor, who requested anonymity, mentioned ongoing disputes, saying, “It was a back-and-forth going on for years, and I never thought it would escalate to this point.”
Deborah Nowakoski, another resident in the area, expressed disbelief over the escalation, remarking on the shock of witnessing the violent end to a years-long argument.
Louie Pascalli, another local, described the neighborhood as typically amicable, sharing social gatherings and community spirit. However, he acknowledged underlying friction, stating it had never escalated to anything this severe before.
As the Berkeley Township community grapples with the tragedy, authorities continue to investigate the series of events that led to this devastating incident. Efforts to reach further comments from the Berkeley Township Police have been unsuccessful.