Man killed in Trenton Wednesday identified

Penny Ray — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 10:20:59 -0500

Michael Brancolino Jr. (Facebook photo)

The man who was gunned down in broad daylight Wednesday afternoon has been identified as 53-year-old Michael Brancolino Jr.

Brancolino was shot and killed near the intersection of Hudson Street and Hamilton Avenue around 3:40 p.m. He was struck at least once in the chest, and his body was found about a block away from where officials believe the gunman stood. Brancolino's purple BMW was parked nearby.

Sources say there may have been multiple gunmen involved in the murder. Sources also say there's a possibility Brancolino was not the intended target of the shooting. Police SUVs blocked a stretch of Hamilton Avenue from South Clinton to Whittaker Avenue Wednesday evening, and yellow cones littered the scene next to shell casings, marking evidence of a wild shooting.

Payten Mcleod, owner of the On Time Equipment auto repair shop at the intersection of Hamilton and Hudson, said he also believes there were more than one shooter. He said he was working in his shop when the shots rang out, and that his young daughter started crying because she believed someone was shooting at him.

"It sounded like more than one shooter," Mcleod said. "Those guys didn't care what they were doing. They were just shooting like a movie. I know a lot of people who say they're not coming to Trenton because there's too much shooting, and I can't blame them."

Mcleod moved to Trenton from Jamaica about five years ago and started his auto shop from scratch. He said violence in the capital city seems senseless compared to violence in his native country, where people usually know why someone is trying to kill them.

"In Jamaica we don't kill like that," Mcleod said. "We have a little more love. We don't kill for nothing. In Jamaica you'll know why someone is trying to kill you."

He also believes young American kids take life for granted.

"These kids have material possessions before they're born and they take it for granted; it's crazy," Mcleod said. "They need to take a trip. When you travel you recognize what you're living for, what you're on this Earth for, and you stop taking things for granted. Life is more serious than what people think."

Brancolino was well known within the community and local residents expressed sadness about his death on social media, acknowledging that life is precious.

"RIP Michael Brancolino Jr. gonna miss you bud," Andrew Martino wrote on Facebook. "One of kind for sure, say hi to my POPS for me, you guys back at it again. Love ya bud."

Michael Brancolino Jr. (submitted photo)

"RIP to my cousin Michael Brancolino Jr. so happy we just caught up!" Stacie Bencivengo wrote Thursday morning.

"He always had a way of making us all feel better," Theresa DiMattia Dalanas wrote.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation and no one has been arrested in connection with the killing as of press time.

Anyone with information about the murder is asked to call the Mercer County Homicide Task Force at (609) 989-6406. Or contact the Trenton Police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Individuals may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tip line at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.

Man shot and killed Wednesday afternoon

Penny Ray — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 16:47:27 -0500

Trenton police investigate a murder in the 100 block of Hudson Street Wednesday afternoon. The victim is on the ground behind the black curtain. (Gregg Slaboda - Trentonian)

UPDATE: The victim has been identified as 53-year-old Michael Brancolino Jr.

A resident who lives at the intersection of Hudson Street and Hamilton Avenue returned home from picking up her child from school and found crime scene tape blocking the entrance to her home; about 10 shell casings littered the ground in front of her door.

"I was afraid for my child's life," the woman who asked to remain anonymous said.

A man was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon, marking the second homicide to occur in the capital city this year.

If the shooting had happened 15 to 20 minutes later than it did, kids would have occupied the area. The aforementioned woman returned home minutes after the shooting occurred.

Officials say the victim is a white male in his 50s; his name is being withheld pending family notification. He was pronounced dead at the scene around 3:40 p.m.

A man was murdered near the intersection of Hudson Street and Hamilton Avenue. (submitted photo)

The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, but sources told The Trentonian law enforcement believe the suspect was on Hamilton Avenue shooting toward the intersection of Hudson and Bayard.

The victim was struck at least once in the chest, and his body was found about a block away from where officials believe the gunman stood. The victim's purple BMW was parked nearby.

Sources say there may have been multiple gunmen involved. Sources also say there's a possibility the victim was not the intended target of the shooting. But police could not provide any further preliminary information as of press time.

Payten Mcleod, owner of the On Time Equipment auto repair shop at the intersection of Hamilton and Hudson, stood outside his business with several associates and expressed frustration about how Trenton’s ongoing violence affects his bottom line.

“This is crazy,” he said, adding he did not see but only heard the gunplay. “My business is getting slower and slower because of this. I’ve been here almost three years trying to get this spot up and running. I can’t make it. We don’t have anyone supporting us. We are trying to serve the community, and they are trying to run us away.”

Residents watched police conduct the homicide investigation Wednesday evening. Some of them, including parents who escorted young children by hand, appeared shell-shocked as they walked down the normally busy Hamilton Avenue in the minutes and hours following the shooting.

Police used manpower, law enforcement vehicles and crime tape to control the scene. Police SUVs blocked a stretch of Hamilton Avenue from South Clinton to Whittaker Avenue. Yellow cones littered the scene next to shell casings, marking evidence of a wild shooting.

Trentonian staff writer Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman contributed to this report.

Police guard a purple BMW that belongs to a murder victim. Feb. 22, 2017 (Sulaiman Abdur-Rahman - Trentonian)

Michael Brancolino Jr | Homicide Watch Trenton

Man killed in Trenton Wednesday identified

Man shot and killed Wednesday afternoon