2 shot in the head: Toms River, NJ man faces life in prison for murder

LAKEWOOD — Following a trial that lasted nearly a month, a Toms River man has been found guilty of two counts of murder.

Tyshaun Drummond, 42, killed two men in the early morning hours of December 19, 2021, in Lakewood, a jury has ruled.

At approximately 7:20 a.m. on Dec. 19, officers responded to a report of shots fired at an apartment complex on River Avenue.

With a description from police dispatch of who allegedly fired the shots, officers located Drummond in front of the apartment complex. He refused to comply with officers' orders, and was then tasered and arrested, according to officials.

Inside the apartment building, officers discovered the dead bodies of Nicholas Hardy, 36, of Toms River, and Sergio Chavez-Perez, 32, of Lakewood. According to police, both men were shot in the head.

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A subsequent investigation identified Drummond as the person responsible for the victims' deaths, the prosecutor's office said. He's been lodged in Ocean County Jail since his release from a local hospital a couple days after the murders.

“It has taken nearly three years, but justice has finally been served in this case,” said Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer. “We hope this jury verdict affords the loved ones of these victims some semblance of closure."

Drummond was also found guilty of burglary and weapons offenses.

Drummond's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 13. He faces life in prison.

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