2 Rutgers Students Shot Last Friday, One While In Her Apartment

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Two Rutgers students were hit by what appears to be stray gunshots fired from a car last Thursday night in New Brunswick.

Both students survived. However one, a young woman, remains hospitalized Monday with gunshot wounds, said a spokeswoman for Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.

This was the shooting that happened late Thursday night (technically Friday morning) in front of the Golden Rail Pub at 66 Easton Avenue, pictured above. This is the heart of New Brunswick, just blocks from campus and in an area where many students live and go out to bars. It is also close to dorms and Rutgers Frat Row.

The young woman was hit by bullets at 2 a.m. Friday while she was inside her second-story apartment, said the prosecutor. She lives in an apartment above the bar. The bullets went through her second-story window. News 12 went to the scene and has video footage of her windows pierced by bullets.

The gunfire that hit her came from a car, said the prosecutor.

The second Rutgers student, a young man, was shot while he was standing outside the Golden Rail.

"One person was shot outside of 66 Easton and the female got shot while she was inside her residence," said a spokeswoman for the prosecutor.

The prosecutor's spokeswoman said she could not answer when asked if the two Rutgers students were targeted intentionally, or if they were victims of random gunfire.

A university spokeswoman confirmed to Patch that both are Rutgers students. The woman was found by police — it is unknown if she was able to call 911 or someone else did — but the young man took himself to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. When police and EMS brought the woman to the hospital, they were informed by hospital staff that another young man had just entered with gunshot wounds. He has since been released from the hospital, but she remains.

There were also gunshots fired into the Indian restaurant next door, which was also riddled with bullet holes, according to News 12.

New Brunswick and Rutgers Police flooded the scene of the shooting Thursday night, and have since made three arrests:

• The alleged shooter was identified by Ciccone as Christian Farmer, 22, of New Brunswick. He was charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault and illegal gun charges.
• Walter Rodriguez-Cardenas, 20, was arrested without incident in Plainfield, where he lives. Police say he drove the getaway car. He was charged with third-degree armed riot and third-degree hindering the apprehension of another.
• Also arrested was Ryan Nasi, 22, of Hillsborough, charged with third-degree armed riot.

Police say they are looking for a fourth suspect, who remains at large.

Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call Detective Freeman of the New Brunswick Police Department at 732-745-5200.

Initial Patch report on this shooting: Stray Bullet Hits Woman Inside Her Home Near Rutgers Campus (April 5)