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“Detectives continue to investigate what prompted the attack,” Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said in announcing an indictment charging ex-con Daniel L. Smith, 37, with murder in the July 30 shooting of Shaquil Loftin, also known as Shai Vanderpump.
Shaquil Lofti was pronounced dead at Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton a short time after being found with several gunshots wounds in the face in a house on Kelsey Avenue, Onofri said.
Detectives identified Smith as the killer after executing a search warrant at the residence, interviewing witnesses and reviewing surveillance video, the prosecutor said.
Authorities arrested him in a traffic stop the following day, and he’s remained held since then in the Mercer County Correction Center in Lambertville.
The indictment secured by Supervising Assistant Mercer County Prosecutor Heather Hadley in Superior Court in Trenton charges Smith with first-degree murder and a trio of weapons offenses, including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
"The case remains under investigation for potential bias charges as Loftin is transgender and identified as female," Onofri said, adding that authorities hadn't yet determined what prompted the brutal attack.
Anyone with information that can help investigators is asked to contact Detective Dave Petelle at (609) 989-6406. Tips can also be emailed to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.
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