Fatal shooting at Montgomery Gardens in Jersey City

by Ronald Leir
Sunday March 30, 2008

A Jersey City man was shot dead early this morning at the city's Montgomery Gardens public housing complex.

Cops had no known motive and no leads but, based on how the shooter acted, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said, "It could be an execution style killing."

Michael Williams, 23, of Union Street, was killed at about 2:15 a.m. as he stood in hallway of one of the complex's buildings, reports said.

DeFazio said a group of young men were standing in a first-floor hallway just inside the main entrance at 571 Montgomery St. when a man walked through the open door, approached the group, and opened fire with a handgun several times.

Williams was shot once in the back and once in the head at close range, DeFazio said.

Another shot grazed one of the other men in the group, DeFazio said. That man was taken to the Jersey City Medical Center for treatment and later released, he said.

The shooter then ran from the building and escaped.