A 36-year-old Ewing man has been arrested and charged in the deadly shooting of a transgender woman in Trenton on Friday.

Around 4:40 a.m., Trenton Police responded to a shooting at a home in the first block of Kelsey Avenue and found that the 23-year-old Shaquil Loftin had been shot in the face.

Loftin was pronounced dead a short time later.

Daniel L. Smith was taken into custody on Saturday night during a motor vehicle stop in his hometown, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri announced.

Smith is charged with one count of murder and multiple weapons offenses, Onofri said.

As the motive remained under investigation, Smith could potentially face bias charges based on Loftin’s gender identity, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Anyone with information can contact the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-989-6406. Tips can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

In a separate, unrelated deadly shooting Sunday, Trenton Police responded around 12:30 a.m. to gunfire in the 800 block of Stuyvesant Avenue.

There, officers found Daquan Basnight, of Ewing, had been shot in the head.

As of Sunday evening, no arrests had been made in Basnight’s death.

Police also noted there was no evidence to suggest the shooting was related to last week’s deadly shooting, several blocks away on the same street.

On Thursday, 58-year-old Leonard Pettigrew was shot and killed in the 1400 block of Stuyvesant Avenue.

Anyone with information on Basnight’s death can contact Detective Shawn Bruton at 609-989-6406. Tips can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.

Most Expensive House For Sale in Mercer County

Located in Mercer County, the six bedroom and 10 bath home is listed for $9.75 million. The home has a movie theater, a bar, three bedrooms with balconies, and a three-bedroom carriage house. Outside, it has over 128 acres of property with a pool, a putting green, two ponds, and basketball and tennis courts.

NJ arrests 31 accused child predators in "Operation 24/7"

A roundup of 31 men have been accused of sexually exploiting children online, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced on July 14 while detailing "Operation 24/7."

The suspects “possessed and or distributed videos and images of child sexual abuse, including in many cases videos of young children being raped by adults,” Grewal said.

Chat apps and gaming platforms remain favorite hunting grounds for child predators and even as the pandemic winds down, many children have continued to spend more time online.

State Police received 39% more tips in just the first 6 months of 2021 than they received in the entire year in 2019. The following are suspects charged in "Operation 24/7."

50 Most Popular Chain Restaurants in America

YouGov investigated the most popular dining brands in the country, and Stacker compiled the list to give readers context on the findings. Read on to look through America's vast and divergent variety of restaurants—maybe you'll even find a favorite or two.

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM