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A grand jury indicted 19-year-old Michael Sally for first-degree murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, and gang criminality, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon, and third-degree receiving stolen property. Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced the indictment in a news release on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Sally and an unidentified boy were facing charges in the shooting that killed 21-year-old Lativity Lyons of Asbury Park. The boy was charged as a juvenile and his case remained pending in family court.
Asbury Park police responded to the shooting at the Asbury Park Gardens apartment complex on Atlantic Avenue just after 10:30 p.m. on Monday, July 3, 2023. When officers arrived, they found three men who were shot and injured.
Lyons and the other two victims were rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Lyons was pronounced dead at the Neptune hospital at 10:50 p.m.
The two men were treated for their injuries and released. A fourth victim who was the intended target of the shooting wasn't injured.
Investigators said they identified Sally and the boy as the suspects. Sally was arrested in Long Branch on Wednesday, June 5, and the boy was being held at a juvenile detention center in an unrelated case.
The boy's identity was not released due to his age. He was given juvenile complaints "that correspond with the charges filed against Sally."
Sally has been held at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution. A judge granted a motion to keep him detained there through his trial.
Prosecutors said adults convicted of murder can be sentenced to up to life in state prison. Juveniles tried as adults and convicted of murder would be eligible for a parole review after 20 years in state prison.
Anyone with information about Lyons' killing should call the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office at 800-533-7443 or the Asbury Park Police Department at 732-774-1300. You can also call the confidential tip-line for the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers at 800-671-4400.
You can also send an anonymous tip on the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers website or through the free P3 Tips mobile app.
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