Eunice Dwumfour, a Sayreville, N.J. councilwoman, was found fatally shot in her SUV outside her townhouse Wednesday (Feb. 1), NJ.com reports.

Authorities said Dwumfour, 30, was shot multiple times and was found at about 7:20 p.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene. No motive in the killing has been revealed in the ongoing investigation.

Alexandra Bryan told The New York Times she heard something that sounded like fireworks around the time of the shooting. “Two times, right after one another. Like five seconds apart,” said Bryan, who lives in a complex next to the parking lot where the shooting occurred.

Dwumfour, a Republican, was just beginning her political career. In 2021, Dwumfour and fellow Republican Christian Onuoha, beat two incumbent Democrats to start their three-year terms on the six-person borough council in 2022.

“Eunice was a dedicated member of our borough council who was truly committed to serve our residents,” Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said in a statement, according to NJ.com. “The fact she was taken from us by this despicable criminal act makes this incident all the more horrifying.”

Kilpatrick said Dwumfour was committed to serving the community and was a Christian of deep faith. “On a personal note, I can’t adequately express my feelings of sorrow at the loss of a friend,” she added.

Retired Sayreville police captain Glenn Skarzynski told The Times that the community is devastated. He said much of Dwumfour’s personal life revolved around her preteen daughter and church. “Her daily life was all about being a Christian first and everything else second,” said Skarzynski, who currently serves as the borough’s business administrator.

Dwumfour graduated from Weequahic High School in Newark, N.J. in 2010, according to NJ.com. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in women’s studies from William Paterson University.

Before moving to Sayreville, she lived in the Washington, D.C., area, working as a contract business analyst for Marriott and Telesis HQ in Bethesda, Md. and McLean, Va.

“I am stunned by the news of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour’s murder last evening in an act of gun violence,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement, according to NJ.com.

Murphy continued: “Her career of public service was just beginning, and by all accounts she had already built a reputation as a committed member of the borough council who took her responsibility with the utmost diligence and seriousness. I send my condolences to Councilwoman Dwumfour’s family and friends, her governing body colleagues, and the entire Sayreville community.”