Virginia Man Arrested in Death of N.J. Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour

An arrest has been made in the death of New Jersey Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, who died after being found with multiple gunshot wounds while inside her vehicle on Feb. 1.

Nearly three months after the tragedy, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office shared in a press conference on Tuesday that 28-year-old Virginia resident Rashid Ali Bynum was arrested in connection to the shooting earlier that day and is awaiting extradition.

“Bynum was taken into custody outside a residence in Chesapeake City, Virginia, without incident,” explained the prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

While the case remains under investigation, Bynum has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose. Ciccone added that Bynum will be held at the Middlesex County Adult Correctional facility as he waits for a pre-trial detention hearing in the state’s Superior Court. It is not clear whether Bynum has acquired legal representation at this time.

“This was a very complex, extensive case with painstaking police work every single moment until today, and it will continue after today,” added Ciccone. “The murder has shaken the community, and no arrest will bring back the late councilwoman. However, I do trust that justice will be found through the criminal justice process.”

Although a motive behind the 30-year-old councilwoman’s death was not given, the prosecutor shared during the press conference that Bymnum was listed as a contact on Dwumfour’s phone with the acronym FCF.

“FCF is believed to be an acronym for the Fire Congress Fellowship, a church the victim was previously affiliated with, which is also associated with the Champion Royal Assembly, the victim’s church at the time of her death,” Ciccone said while noting that Bymnun did an internet search of the church, the area, and “which magazines were compatible with a specific handgun” on the day of the shooting.

Champion Royal Assembly did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Many community members reflected on the death of Dwumfour, who was serving a term on the Sayreville Borough Council from 2022 to 2024. Immediately after, Sayreville Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick issued a statement Thursday saying the community was “shocked and saddened.”

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“Eunice was a dedicated member of our borough council who was truly committed to serve our residents,” Kilpatrick said. “The fact she was taken from us by this despicable criminal act makes this incident all the more horrifying.”