Gunman Kills 2 Co-workers, Self at N.J. Pathmark

An apparently disgruntled worker armed with two guns killed two fellow associates at a Pathmark store in Old Bridge, N.J., before taking his own life, according to published reports. The shooting took place at around 4 a.m. on Aug. 31. The store wasn’t open for business yet at the time.

The gunman, a 23-year-old  former Marine, had been working at the store for about two weeks as a shelf stocker on the overnight shift. The weapons used in the killings were an AK-47 assault rifle and an automatic pistol.

Police believe the suspect may have had an argument with a co-worker at the store before allegedly leaving at about 3:30 a.m., taking the weapons from his car and returning armed. About 16 shots were fired in the attack, shattering store windows.

One of the victims was said to be an 18-year-old woman who lived in the same nearby apartment complex as the gunman. A 24-year-old man was also killed. About a dozen Pathmark employees escaped unscathed following the shooting.

“We are terribly saddened by the incident at our Old Bridge Pathmark store this morning,” the chain, a division of the Montvale, N.J.-based Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. (A&P), said in a message posted on its website. “We express our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and our appreciation to local law enforcement. Our main concern is the safety of our associates and customers. We continue to work with local authorities during the investigation. At this time, we cannot comment on the ongoing police investigation regarding the incident.”