The victim, identified as 49-year-old Maisha Coon of Trenton, NJ, was killed in the hotel room late Tuesday night. The suspect, her boyfriend, 51-year-old Orenthia Upshur, also from Trenton, fled the scene to a home in New Jersey, where he admitted to killing Koon and attempted to kill her family, authorities said.
Details about Coon's life have been shared by her community. Click here to read our full report.
Pennsylvania State Police began investigating after the homicide was reported on Wednesday morning, Jan. 15. Over an hour and a half, officers searched hotels in the area until they found the correct hotel and room. Officers discovered that three shots had been fired in the hotel room: one struck Coon, one went through the floor and narrowly missed an innocent bystander in the room below, and a third shot reportedly hit a pillow.
The suspect had already fled to Trenton, where police were called to Parkside Avenue for reports of an active shooter around 4:36 a.m. Officers heard multiple gunshots and quickly set up a perimeter, evacuating nearby residents. Gunshots had struck a car and a window of the home, where the suspect threatened a female relative of Koon's. Police evacuated the home upon arrival.
The Mercer County Tactical Response Team located the suspect during a barricade situation and took him into custody without further incident, police said.
The suspect will face charges in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, officials said.
Additional details are expected to be released as the investigation continues.
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