NJ cops shoot ex-firefighter, armed in tactical gear, who came to confront ex’s family

🚨Former Toms River firefighter Brian Lanzim is charged with attempted murder

🚨Prosecutors say Brian Lanzim drove from Maine with a Glock and body armor

🚨Officers say Lanzim drove at police home before cops fired five shots

SOUTH TOMS RIVER — A former Toms River firefighter was charged with three counts of attempted murder in an ongoing domestic dispute that ended in a shootout with police.

Brian Lanzim, 37, who lives in Bangor, Maine, threatened to bring his weapons and "come visit" his ex-girlfriend and their two children in Toms River on April 29, according to police. Lanzim talked to his ex via FaceTime as he drove but his location feature was turned off on his phone. During the conversation, Lanzim said he would "do what I need to do" if the victim stood between him and his children.

The victim ended the conversation but Lanzim continued to message her, according to police. She went to Toms River police and was granted a temporary restraining order. She also took their children to a friend's home.

Police pinged Lanzim's phone and located him heading south on the Garden State Parkway near Exit 100. A mutual friend told the victim that he spoke to Lanzim while he was driving and said he was headed to South Toms River, where the victim's parents live.

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Brian Lanzim

History of domestic dispute and weapons charges

Police were at the home on Dover Road in South Toms River when Lanzim arrived and drove his car across the lawn at waiting officers while wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with a handgun. He got out of his vehicle, and the South Toms River officers fired, hitting Lanzim in the pelvis and hand.

Officers treated Lanzim before he was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

The investigation found the officer fired five shots at Lanzim. Police later found a Glock handgun with 16 rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. Lanzim's body armor had additional magazines attached to the vest, police said.

Detectives afterwards learned that Lanzim and the victim met 12 years ago but were not married. Lanzim moved into her home in 2018 and moved to Maine in 2025 for a new job. The victim told police that Lanzim showed up on Christmas Day and told her, "if I can't have you, no one can."

The victim tried for the six days before the shooting to break up with Lanzim, who offered to move back to New Jersey and "fix things." She instead broke up with him, investigators said.

Lanzim was charged with three counts of attempted murder, two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful use of body armor, burglary, terroristic threats, and 22 counts of possession of large capacity ammunition magazines.

A judge on Friday ordered Lanzim to remain jailed at the Ocean County Jail.

The name of Lanzim's attorney is not disclosed in court records.

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