On the night of July 14, 2019, 37-year-old Christine Formisano was shot and killed at her home on Mirror Place in Jefferson, New Jersey. Her estranged husband, 52-year-old Newark Police lieutenant John Formisano, arrived at the residence while Christine was there with her new boyfriend, Timothy Simonson, and Christine’s two young children. An altercation ensued and the off-duty officer opened fire, striking Christine and Simonson. Christine ran from the house seeking help from neighbors but was shot dead on the front porch of a nearby home. Simonson survived with multiple gunshot wounds; the children were found unharmed but had been present during the attack.

John Formisano fled the scene and was arrested in Livingston in the early hours of July 15, 2019; the firearm used was recovered from his vehicle. Court documents say he claimed to have blacked out during the shooting. A jury later found him guilty of first-degree murder in Christine’s death and of attempted murder, child endangerment, official misconduct, and weapons offenses in connection with the incident.