The investigation into the incident commenced on Wednesday morning when Orenthia Upshur, aged 51, reportedly contacted a family member and confessed to shooting his girlfriend inside a hotel room in Bensalem.
The police traced the cell phone of the victim, Maisha Coon, who is 49 years old, and initiated a search for hotels in the vicinity.
According to the police, Upshur was caught on surveillance cameras leaving the hotel while carrying a handgun in his pocket.
In the midst of it all, authorities swiftly arrived at the scene after receiving a distressing 911 call reporting gunshots being fired at the intersection of Parkside Avenue and Oak Lane in Trenton.
According to the police, an Uber passenger made a distressing call to report a man shooting from a pickup truck. The caller claimed that three gunshots were fired in their direction, fortunately, neither the caller nor the Uber driver sustained any injuries, although the vehicle was struck by the gunfire.
When officers arrived at the scene, they immediately heard more gunshots. While they were attempting to determine the exact location of the gunfire, they received another 911 call regarding an ongoing burglary on Oak Lane.
The caller reported that a man was attempting to gain entry into the residence and might be carrying a weapon.
The home was surrounded by officers who then heard another gunshot and immediately started evacuating residents in the surrounding area.
After Upshur barricaded himself inside the home, the police quickly arrived at the scene. Mercer County’s Tactical Response Team was called in to handle the situation and successfully apprehended Upshur.
According to authorities, his intention was to cause harm to Coon’s family
“He intended to harm Ms. Coon even beyond the grave when he conveyed his murderous intentions to harm and take the lives of her family members in New Jersey, in Trenton,” said Bucks County D.A. Jennifer Schorn.
According to the police, the couple had been involved in domestic disputes in the days prior to the tragic incident, as per accounts provided by their family members.
There were no reported injuries, and the officers successfully recovered the gun believed to have been used in the murder of Coon.
Upshur will face charges of criminal homicide for the murder in Bensalem.
The suspect will also face charges of criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, and burglary for the incidents in Trenton.
