On the night before Thanksgiving in 2017, a fatal shooting in Asbury Park, New Jersey, claimed the life of 27-year-old Denzel Morgan-Hicks of Barnegat. The incident occurred on November 22, 2017, when police responded to reports of gunshots around 10:32 p.m. in the area of 150 Prospect Avenue. Upon arrival, officers discovered Morgan-Hicks in the driver's seat of his 2017 Ford Expedition, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite the quick response of emergency medical services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation that followed was a joint effort between the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and the Asbury Park Police Department. Their work led to the identification of three suspects: Vernon Sanders, 34, of Brick Township; Steven J. Taylor, 36, of Asbury Park; and Avery Hopes, 23, also of Asbury Park. Prosecutors alleged that the shooting was a revenge killing, stemming from gang rivalry. It was suggested that Morgan-Hicks was a member of the Crips street gang and was rumored to have been involved in the 2011 death of a member of the rival Bloods street gang, to which the suspects allegedly belonged. Authorities believe Sanders and Hopes ambushed Morgan-Hicks as he was leaving a friend's apartment, opening fire on him.
A Monmouth County grand jury returned an eight-count indictment against the three men. The charges included first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, and second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose. Sanders and Hopes also faced charges of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, while Taylor was charged with first-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. Additionally, Sanders and Taylor were charged with second-degree certain persons not to possess weapons.
