On the late evening of May 3, 2018, Sciasia Calhoun, a 24-year-old female, was driving on Route 33 in Freehold, New Jersey, with her boyfriend and their one-year-old child. The family was heading home after discovering the headlights on their Mazda Protege were not working correctly. Their journey took a tragic turn when another vehicle, a Chevrolet Impala, began following them. The driver of the Impala, Kader Mustafa, flashed his high beams before pulling alongside Calhoun's car and firing a single shot.
The bullet struck Sciasia Calhoun in the head. In her final moments, she managed to pull the car safely to the side of the road, protecting her boyfriend and child who were unharmed in the attack. Emergency services were called, and Calhoun was rushed to CentraState Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.
The shooting appeared to be a random act of violence, as Calhoun and her killer were complete strangers.
The following morning, law enforcement located and arrested Kader Mustafa of Hightstown in Manalapan. Inside his vehicle, police discovered two handguns. An investigation revealed that Mustafa, who was reportedly abusing Adderall and feeling paranoid, had become enraged when Calhoun flashed her car's lights. In October 2021, a jury found Mustafa guilty on all charges, including murder and weapons offenses. Described by the sentencing judge as a 'cauldron of rage,' Mustafa was sentenced to life in prison and will not be eligible for parole until he is 104 years old.
