A Millville Midget Football coach was fatally shot near the Lakeside Middle School with numerous children nearby Thursday night.
Joseph L. Jones, 37, was in the parking lot of the school when a masked suspect or suspects shot him, Cumberland County Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said.
The individual or individuals then fled in a possibly maroon colored sedan and shot at an officer as they fled, according to the report.
Numerous children were at a field behind the school and parking area participating in Midget football activities at the time, Webb-McRae said.
"It’s sad to take someone from kids that need them in their life," said Derrick Webster, the IBO/USBO Super Middleweight Champion who also works with the kids. "Just the few hours spent with these kids make the difference of saving at least one. The kids loved him."
The Prosecutor's Office has offered help in setting up group crisis intervention for the children affected by the killing.
While fleeing the scene, the suspect or suspects fired multiple rounds at a law enforcement officer in the area of Garden Road on Route 55 headed north, according to the report.
No officer returned fire or was injured. The suspect vehicle was not caught.
The Millville Midget Football League president was expected to make a statement about the loss later.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt. George Chopek of the Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit at 609-381-2046.
