A North Bergen man was tracked down in Massachusetts and arrested Tuesday inthe fatal shooting of a former Hoboken High School two-sport star, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced Tuesday afternoon.
Albert Morales, 33, has been charged with murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of weapon in the death of 21-year-old Damon Murray late Sunday night outside a Hoboken Housing Authority building on Marshall Drive.
He was arrested in Chicopee, Massachusetts, by members of the Massachusetts State Police and will remain in custody pending extradition to New Jersey. Chicopee, a city of 55,000, is just north of Springfield in the southwestern area of the state.
Murray was shot in the abdomen shortly after 11:30 p.m. Sunday and transported by a private auto to Jersey City Medical Center. He was pronounced dead just after 12 a.m. Monday.
“I commend our dedicated law enforcement agencies including the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hoboken Police Department, and the Massachusetts State Police for working around the clock to quickly apprehend the individual connected to Sunday’s fatal shooting,” Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla said. “It is absolutely heartbreaking that Damon is no longer with us, but knowing that justice will be served is an important step forward for our community to mourn his loss.”
Murray was working for the Hoboken school district, specifically with special needs children as a paraprofessional and was on his way to becoming a city firefighter, city officials said.
A 2020 graduate of Hoboken High School, Murray, whose nickname was “Nunu,” starred on the football field and the basketball court.
In his senior season, Murray had four touchdown receptions at receiver, but it was at cornerback where he made a name for himself, intercepting five passes.He and teammate Nyjon Freeman committed to Rutgers University in April 2020 as walk-ons.
Murray left the program after one semester. He did not appear in any games and has not been enrolled at the school for three years.
In an interview with CBS New York, Murray’s mother said the shooting occurred after a dispute while gambling. A source with knowledge of the shooting said Murray was participating in a “dice” game.
A vigil is scheduled for Murray Monday night.
