A family gathering in Swedesboro, New Jersey, ended in violence on October 9, 2021. Police say they responded to a 911 call shortly after 4 p.m. at a Cottonwood Road home and found 43-year-old Dennis McKenzie suffering from gunshot wounds to the head and back; an autopsy ruled his death a homicide.

Also at the scene was McKenzie’s 23-year-old stepson, Christian Smith of Philadelphia. Authorities arrested Smith and charged him with murder and weapons offenses. Investigators say the killing grew out of an argument at the gathering: Smith reportedly objected to the presence of a gay guest McKenzie had invited, and the dispute escalated into the fatal shooting.

Anyone who was at the Cottonwood Road gathering or who has information about what led up to the confrontation is asked to come forward.