Montclair Man Shot Girlfriend Before Killing Himself, Prosecutor Says

A Montclair man shot his girlfriend several times in the head before turning the gun on himself in a Montclair park Thursday night, according to Essex County Acting Prosecutor Carolyn Murray. 

The deaths of Brandon Brown, 26, of Montclair, and Shanae Q. Howard, 24, of Orange, have been determined to be a murder-suicide by the Essex County Regional Medical Examiner, Murray said.

The bodies of the couple were found near a children’s playground in Canterbury Park, less than a quarter-mile from Brown’s home on Willowdale Avenue.  

Montclair Police found the gun believed to have been used by Brown to shoot Howard multiple times in the head before killing himself with a single bullet to the head.

Bill Carr, whose property backs up to the park was awoken by his daughter Thursday night after the park lit up with police cars from Montclair and Essex County, responding a report of gun shots. The two were pronounced dead at 10:40 p.m.

“I saw a woman that had obviously blood on her head," Carr said. "Her top was pulled down and she was lying face up." Carr said Brown lay at her feet on his side. 

Brown, who went to Montclair High School, apparently was no stranger to police.

Brown was charged in 2012 with stealing a car he allegedly later crashed while under the influence. In November 2010, police found Brown incoherent standing with his pants and underwear around his ankles on Elm Street in Montclair. He was arrested in December 2010 for allegedly selling crack, according to police reports. 

Montclair resident Anthony Clements said Friday he knew Brown from the neighborhood.

“Every time I saw him it was just work and home,” Clements said, adding that he would see Brown and Howard together.

Carr said he has lived next to Canterbury Park for 15 years and was not aware of any gun violence occurring in the park during that time.

"Nobody wants this kind of thing to happen in your neighborhood," he said. "This kind of thing can happen anywhere."

A gun control advocacy group, Moms Demand Action NJ, is planning a vigil at Crane Park in Montclair at 7:30 p.m. Friday in response to the shootings.