A 26-year-old nursery school teacher and mother of three, Jenel Pollydore, was shot dead by her ex-boyfriend, Shaka Vaughn Phillips, during a wedding reception at the R&R Hotel in Amelia’s Ward, Linden. The horrifying incident unfolded around 9:20 p.m. on Saturday in the presence of multiple guests.
According to a police statement, Jenel, who had a restraining order against Phillips due to ongoing domestic abuse, was standing by the gate of the hotel when he confronted her, demanding to know why she hadn’t been answering her phone. An argument broke out, during which Phillips allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot her.
Eyewitnesses say Pollydore ran into the hotel’s pool area in an attempt to escape, but Phillips chased her and fired two more shots before fleeing the scene. Police later recovered two 9mm spent shells and confirmed that Pollydore suffered gunshot wounds to the right side of her face and the back of her head. She was pronounced dead at the Linden Hospital Complex.
Jenel Pollydore leaves behind three children, the youngest just three months old. Police have launched a manhunt for Shaka Phillips as investigations continue.
