Gov. Murphy remembers state worker killed in Trenton
TRENTON » Vernetta McCray knew “all too well the dangers of gun violence” through her work with the Department of Children and Families but likely never suspected she’d fall victim to it herself.
Gov. Phil Murphy paid tribute to the murdered state worker during Monday’s coronavirus briefing, sending condolences to her family and colleagues at DCF, where the Trenton woman worked for over a decade helping kids through difficulties they inherited through no fault of their own.
“She and her colleagues knew, in many cases, all too well, the dangers of gun violence in the communities in which many of DCF’s clients live,” Murphy said. “Sadly, such an act took her from us . ... May she rest in peace and may God bless and watch over her.”
McCray, 39, was on her front porch on the 100 block of Hampton Avenue when a gunman, still unidentified, opened fire as many as 23 times around 9 p.m. Friday, sources said.
The DCF worker was on the phone with a client, sources said, when she became an unsuspecting victim, the city’s 26th homicide casualty of the year.
Authorities haven’t announced any arrests or disclosed a motive in the killing, but sources said McCray appeared to be an innocent bystander caught up in the crossfire.
The Democratic governor released a statement Saturday night, and briefly touched upon the capital city’s latest killing at his briefing, yet another “random act of gun violence” that has been prevalent in Trenton in 2020.
Murphy spoke to McCray’s mother while her daughter was still clinging to life in a hospital. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed McCray’s death on Sunday. She was kept on life support long enough for doctors to harvest her organs, her family told ABC 6.
Friends and colleagues took to Facebook to mourn the state worker’s death, with Mayor Reed Gusciora urging residents to remain “vigilant of their surroundings” and not go out late at night.
“She lived in a neighborhood with many challenges,” Gusciora said. “Vernetta loved her home and wanted to stay. No one should have to live in fear of their lives. We hope residents speak out about criminal activity in their neighborhoods. Too many close their eyes to violence. We desperately need their help to solve these crimes. Law enforcement cannot do it alone.”
For months, community activists have warned that Trenton could see record-setting bloodshed in 2020 unless officials intervened.
The capital city surpassed the homicide totals over the last two years. The murder record, set in 2013, is 37.
Gusciora and Trenton Police Director Sheilah Coley have pushed for more cops on the streets and are hoping that a $4.5 million State Police real-time crime center will help the capital city demystify the gunplay.
At least 11 of the killings involved personal disputes, Coley previously said.
Col. Patrick Callahan, the New Jersey State Police superintendent, said there were 14 shootings around the state over the weekend, including four in Patterson, one of them fatal.
He said Gusciora and Coley were meeting with local stakeholders about how to better stem the bloodshed in the capital city, calling addressing gun violence across the Garden State a “daily grind” for law enforcement.
The Trentonian has reached out to DCF Commissioner Christine Beyer for comment on McCray’s unfortunate passing.
“She and her colleagues knew, in many cases, all too well, the dangers of gun violence in the communities in which many of DCF’s clients live.”
Gov. Phil Murph