Bruce Gomola, 51, is a corrections officer at the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly, New Jersey. On July 24 Gomola fatally shot medical employee Stephanie Horton, 44, and injured a patient at Delaware Valley Urology Office.
Gomola has been charged with first degree murder, two counts of second degree aggravated assault, and second degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.
Prosecutors say the investigation revealed that Gomola apparently became upset concerning an appointment for his father at the urology office. Gomola was unhappy with the current treatment provided to his father and got into a verbal altercation with Patient Services Representative Stephanie Horton, CBS News reports.
Horton attempted to discuss the situation with Gomola but he pulled a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun and fired one shot into Horton’s chest, according to investigators.
The bullet exited through Horton’s back and struck a female patient in the knee, investigators said. Gomola was allegedly seen picking up a shell casing.
Gomola is accused of then leaving the building and driving away, but soon returned to the scene and surrendered without incident to a Mount Laurel detective.
Horton died at Cooper University Hospital in Camden. The other victim, a woman in her 50’s was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The gun was registered to Gomola and is his personal firearm, police say.
