Jersey City Shooting: Suspect Directly Tied To Shooters Arrested, Discovered By Police With Illegal Arsenal
KEYPORT, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – A New Jersey man has been arrested after being directly connected to the two shooters who killed a police officer and three civilians in Jersey City.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced late Saturday night that Ahmed A-Hady has been taken into custody on felony weapons charges.
The 35-year-old was linked to David Anderson and Francine Graham after police found "a handwritten note that contained a telephone number" in Anderson's pocket after the suspects were killed in the gun battle.
That number -- and a Keyport, New Jersey address written on the note -- were both traced back to A-Hady's New Jersey pawn shop.
Investigators say A-Hady is a convicted felon and, by law, not permitted to own firearms. While searching the man's shop, police uncovered an arsenal of weapons, CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reported.
"During the search of the pawnshop, law enforcement recovered six rifles (including three AR-15-style assault rifles), three handguns, and one shotgun," officials announced in a statement Saturday.
When law enforcement moved in on A-Hady's home, they found 400 rounds of ammunition, including hollow point bullets.
The 35-year-old has been charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm – which could carry a 10-year prison sentence if convicted.
Authorities have not said if further charges will follow in connection to the actual Jersey City shootings on Dec. 10, which left Anderson, Graham, and four victims, including Jersey City Police Det. Joseph Seals, dead.
The U.S. Attorney's Office also did not announce if it has discovered how much contact A-Hady had with the shooters before Tuesday's attack. Police are working to figure out if any of the guns the shooters used were purchased at A-Hady's pawn shop.
On Sunday, CBS2's Marc Liverman spoke exclusively with A-Hady's brother, Adhem.
Liverman: "Did you ask your brother if he knew David Anderson or the other suspect?"
Adhem A-Hady: "The FBI asked us while we were all here, me and my father and my brother, we asked, we'd never seen these people. They're part of the black Israelites or something, some gang or something like that, never heard of them, never seen anything regarding these two people."
When asked about the note, Adhem A-Hady said, "Sometimes after emergencies we leave our cellphone numbers on the door, so there's a million different possibilities how it got there."
Adhem A-Hady went on to say, "We don't sell weapons. We never sold weapons. The only thing that we have in the store is, like, nunchucks. ... It's insane. I know my brother better than anyone on this planet. For him to be in this situation is unfortunate."
Ahmed A-Hady is due in federal court in Newark on Monday morning.
Police are continuing to probe the massacre in Jersey City, which authorities are investigating as a potential act of domestic terrorism.
On the heels of the arrest, Gov. Phil Murphy attended a local church service Sunday and urged unity among faiths, Dhillon reported.
"The worst kind of evil was visited on Jersey City on Tuesday, an evil spurred by deep-seeded hate," Murphy said. "Let's build a tomorrow based on love and getting guns off the street."
After the service, New Jersey Assemblywoman Angela McKnight went on a tour of the crime scene. She spent time talking to locals and comforted Myrtle Mauldy. The 75-year-old hid for two hours in the basement of her shop as the gunfire rang out.
Myrtle said she's grateful to be alive, and for the community support.
The funeral for Det. Seals will be held on Tuesday.
Seals, 40, was with the department for 13 years and is survived by his wife and five children.
His wake will be at 2 p.m. on Monday at the Mc Laughlin Funeral Home on Pavonia Avenue. Tuesday's funeral service will be at 10 a.m., at Saint Aedan's: The St. Peter's University Church, on Bergen Avenue.
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