TOMS RIVER – A township man has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting outside a Route 37 Wawa on Friday, authorites said.
As of Saturday morning, Douglas Cobb, 51, remained at large following the September 18 shooting that killed 42-year-old Toms River resident Bruce Gress, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
Cobb, who authorities said also uses the name Douglas Green and the nickname “Bootknock,” is considered a fugitive.
A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and his information has been entered into the National Crime Information Center database.
Police were called to the Wawa at Route 37 and Garfield Avenue at approximately 7:20 a.m. after receiving a report that someone had been shot.
Officers arrived to find Gress suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Emergency medical personnel took him to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was pronounced dead.
Jersey Shore Online previously reported that witnesses described two men arguing before one allegedly opened fire. A dark-colored sedan, believed to be a newer blue or black Acura, was reportedly seen leaving the area toward Garfield Avenue.
Authorities have since identified the vehicle connected to their search as a black 2016 Acura MDX with New Jersey license plate T93YJL.
Investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department Detective Bureau and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit identified Cobb as the person allegedly responsible for the shooting, Billhimer said.
Cobb faces charges of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and being a certain person prohibited from possessing a weapon.
“Our focus now is to locate Douglas Cobb and bring him into custody,” Billhimer said.
Authorities are asking anyone who knows Cobb to encourage him to surrender peacefully. Anyone with credible information about his location should call the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit at 732-929-2027 or the Toms River Township Police Department at 732-349-0150.
Local, county and federal agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, are assisting with the investigation and search.
The charges are accusations, and Cobb is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
