‘Armed & dangerous’ — NJ man wanted NYE gun death in Somerset

FRANKLIN (Somerset) — A 21-year-old man from the Somerset section of this township is being sought as the fifth and final armed and dangerous suspect in a New Year's Eve killing.

In releasing a photo of Luther Waters, police said Monday the public should not directly confront him but instead should contact police to share Waters' location.

Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson said four other male teenagers, all from the township, already have been arrested and face charges stemming from the shooting death of 19-year-old Samaad Frazier.

On Dec. 31 just before 3:30 p.m., township police responded to a 911 call reporting shots in the area of Churchill Avenue.

Officers found Frazier with a number of gunshot wounds inside a vehicle parked behind a home. He died at a nearby hospital.

Other officers saw a vehicle that matched a description given to police during the 911 call, speeding on Hamilton and Berry Streets.

Police said the vehicle failed to stop and officers chased the vehicle until it crashed at the intersection of Easton Avenue and Oakland Avenue, at which point five people inside ran off in different directions.

According to Robertson, officers caught up to 18-year-old township resident Gavin M. Owens-Jones, who was holding a semi-automatic handgun. Police said he dropped it when ordered and was arrested.

Police also caught up to 19-year-old Jeffrey J. Grant and a 16-year-old identified by his initials due to his age, I.S., both from the Somerset section of the township.

Two days later, police said they arrested a fourth suspect, a 16-year-old from the Somerset section identified by his initials, T.H.

That teen was charged with first degree murder and taken to the Middlesex County Youth Detention Center, pending a family court appearance.

Owens-Jones and Grant were charged with first-degree murder and fourth-degree eluding by flight. Owen-Jones also faces a count of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. They were taken to Somerset County Jail pending a bail detention hearing.

Waters also was charged with first-degree murder and has been placed into the National Crime Information Center as a wanted person.

The 16-year-old known as "I.S." was charged with fourth-degree eluding and released to a family member pending a family court appearance.

Anyone with information relating to the shooting death or the location of Waters can contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Major Crimes Unit at 908-231-7100 or Franklin Township Police at 732-873-5533.

Information also can be shared anonymously via the STOPit app, available for free download to smart phones at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ

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