NJ man shot in head dies 5 days after Trenton triple shooting, prosecutors say

🔴 Man charged with murder, attempted murder

🔴 Father dies in hospital days after shooting

🔴 Family "struggling to understand" his death

TRENTON — A city man has been arrested and charged with murder for a fatal triple shooting earlier this month that ended the life of a beloved father.

Kareem Pygum, 43, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder, two counts of third-degree aggravated assault, and three weapons offenses, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri announced on Saturday.

Pygum was arrested on Wednesday. Detectives found him with a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver and a "small quantity" of crack cocaine, Onofri said.

According to Onofri, Pygum pulled the trigger in a triple shooting in Trenton that left three people suffering from gunshot wounds. One of the victims died in the hospital days later.

Father dies days after Trenton shooting

Jose Alfredo Azcona Garcia, 46, of Trenton, was one of three people injured by gunfire around 8 p.m. the night of April 4, according to Onofri.

Azcona Garcia was shot in the head while a woman was shot in the shoulder, Onofri said. Police found them near the 500 block of North Clinton Avenue. A third victim, a man, was later found to have been injured when a bullet grazed his left cheek.

Both Azcona Garcia and the woman were taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center.

He died from his injury five days later, according to Onofri.

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Family "struggling to understand" father's death

Azcona Garcia's two children created a GoFundMe soon after the shooting while their father was alive. However, they said that the shooting left their father's body paralyzed and that they knew he would likely soon die.

After he passed on April 9, Azcona Garcia's children asked for financial support to pay for his funeral.

"This loss has left a huge void in our hearts, and we find ourselves struggling to understand and accept this painful reality," they said.

The fundraiser passed its $10,000 goal and raised $12,655 as of late Sunday afternoon.

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