Children dead in Union: What Happened?

Here are the top New Jersey news stories for Thursday:

⬛ 2 children, 2 adults found dead in Union County home

(Canva)

UNION TOWNSHIP (Union) — A community was left stunned on Wednesday after a household of two adults and two children were found dead in their home.

The four residents were unresponsive when law enforcement entered the residence on Lincrest Terrace during the morning.

⬛ Chopper 6 crash in NJ: Investigation leaves more questions

Chopper 6, Christopher Dougherty, Monroe Smith (6 ABC Action News)

A preliminary report by the NTSB has determined that the Chopper 6 news helicopter did not have any engine problems when it crashed on Dec. 19.

The 6 ABC helicopter was returning to Philadelphia's Northeast Airport after an assignment to Galloway to take a video of Christmas light displays, its third flight of the day.

⬛ Inmate beaten for splashing urine on NJ jail guard, officials say

Passaic County jail (Google Maps/Canva)

PATERSON — Two sergeants and an officer at Passaic County Jail retaliated against a pretrial detainee for splashing urine on one of them and then lied to investigators, according to federal prosecutors.

The three Passaic County sheriff's officers were arrested on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

⬛ Cancer incidence on the rise in NJ, and the patients are younger

Canva

Treatment of cancer has come a long way, but it's going to have to take on a lot more patients over the next several months.

In 2024, for the first time ever, the projected number of new diagnoses in the U.S. is expected to top 2 million, according to a report published Wednesday by American Cancer Society.

⬛ Stand Your Ground: Understanding Self-Defense Laws In New Jersey

Applications for gun permits continue to rise in New Jersey with many seeking to purchase a gun for self-protection.

With many new gun owners in New Jersey, I am often asked about the state’s self-defense laws and the use of deadly force.

Understanding New Jersey's self-defense laws: a closer look at the duty to retreat

Places in NJ where gun owners have sued to carry a legal gun

New Jersey passed its own law in December, trying to ban legal guns from “sensitive places.”

A federal judge found many of those spots to be legally protected on grounds of armed self-defense, noting in her opinion, “Crowded locations are not sensitive places."

As of June, a federal appeals court granted the state attorney general's request to keep part of the law that bars people from carrying handguns in “sensitive places” in effect.

The decision means handguns cannot be carried in places such as zoos, public parks, public libraries and museums, bars, and health care facilities.

The law bars handguns from being carried in those places as well as schools and child care facilities. The lower court's May injunction did not specify those locations, and the appeals court also didn't remove the prohibition in those places.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt & The Associated Press