The quiet street of Fairwood Drive in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township woke up to sirens and flashing lights just before sunrise Tuesday. By the time the morning settled in, four people were dead. Among them were a husband and wife, their adult daughter, and the man investigators say pulled the trigger.
Authorities say the violence began around 5 a.m. when police were called to the home for reports of gunfire. Officers arriving on the scene saw a man go back inside the house. Moments later, more shots rang out from inside the residence, forcing officers to step back and call in the regional SWAT team.
When tactical officers eventually entered the home, they found Allan Russell, 61, and his wife Michelle Russell, 60, both suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. The couple lived in the house on Fairwood Drive and had been there with family when the shooting began.
Outside the home, investigators soon found another victim. Deonna Stewart, 38, was lying along Fairwood Drive about 50 yards from the house. She had also been shot to death. Authorities said Stewart lived at the home with her parents and her three young children.
Police believe the gunman was Vaughn Stewart, 37, of Maplewood, Deonna Stewart’s estranged husband. Investigators say he entered the home and shot Allan and Michelle Russell first. As Deonna Stewart ran from the house, he chased her down the street and shot her as well.
After the shooting outside, authorities say Vaughn Stewart went back inside the house. Officers later found him there with a gunshot wound to the head that appeared to be self-inflicted. He was rushed to Community Medical Center in Toms River but was later pronounced dead.
Inside the home at the time were three minor children. Officials said the children were not physically hurt during the shooting. The couple had been living separately but shared the children together.
The children are now under the care of the state’s child protection agency as investigators continue to piece together exactly what led to the deadly confrontation. Neighbors described the neighborhood as normally calm and family-focused, making the morning’s violence all the more shocking.
For residents on Fairwood Drive, the scene left behind a heavy silence. Police tape wrapped around the quiet home while investigators worked through the day. A place once filled with family life became the center of a tragedy that wiped out three generations of one household within minutes.
