In the early morning hours of March 2, 2025, a tragic series of events unfolded in Mays Landing, New Jersey, culminating in the death of 30-year-old Kevin Schmalz Jr. Authorities were called to the Hamilton Greene apartment complex around 7:21 a.m. for a report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, they found Schmalz deceased from a gunshot wound.
The investigation that followed pieced together the confusing and unfortunate circumstances of that morning.
It was determined that Schmalz had been involved in a car accident nearby. Disoriented, he was attempting to walk to his brother's residence within the same apartment complex when he fell into a creek. With his clothes soaked in the below 20-degree weather, he entered an unlocked apartment that he mistakenly thought was his brother's.
Inside the residence, the homeowner was alerted to the presence of an intruder. The homeowner reported to a 911 dispatcher that an unknown man was at the bottom of his stairs and was undressing. After issuing a warning shot that was ignored, the man, later identified as Schmalz, began to advance up the stairs completely unclothed. Fearing for his safety, the homeowner fired a second shot, which struck Schmalz in the chest.
Following a thorough homicide investigation, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office concluded that the homeowner's actions were justified under New Jersey's self-defense laws. Citing the fact that the resident was in his own dwelling and had a reasonable belief of a threat, authorities announced that no charges would be filed against the homeowner, whose identity was not publicly released. The investigation confirmed that the homeowner did not know Kevin Schmalz Jr.
