The man gunned down by callous carjackers at an upscale New Jersey mall was remembered as a devoted husband and sharp attorney – and wanted to be a dad, friends said Monday.
Dustin Friedland was shot in the head in front of his wife, Jamie, after a violent carjacking by two still at-large assailants at The Mall at Short Hills late Sunday night. A manhunt is underway to locate the two suspects, authorities said.
The couple, both graduates of Syracuse University's law program, were madly in love and planning to have their first kid, the wife's boss, Adam Bailey Leitman told The Daily News.
Dustin J. Friedland/Facebook
Dustin Friedland, 30, was shot and killed during a violent carjacking at the Short Hills Mall in New Jersey.
"She would just lighten up when he would walk in the room," Leitman said Monday, noting the entire Manhattan firm is mourning the man's death. "She was so happy to be married."
Bailey met Friedland several times during functions for the firm, he said.
"It’s unconscionable," Bailey said. "Everybody was crying."
Jamie Schare Friedland/Facebook
The man was remembered as a devoted husband to his wife, Jamie (left). The wife was with him as he was gunned down in cold-blood.
RELATED: NEW JERSEY MALL RANGE ROVER CARJACKING LEAVES MAN DEAD
Friedland, 30, was a project manager at Epic Mechanical, a firm based in Neptune, N.J. that "analyzed construction-related legal claims," according to the man's LinkedIn profile.
A woman who answered the phone at Epic declined to comment.
WABC
The vehicle, a 2012 silver Range Rover, was recovered on Renner Ave. in Newark.
Meanwhile, police are still searching for two callous crooks that sped off in a stolen silver Range Rover after shooting Friedland during the cold-blooded carjacking, cops said.
Police located Friedland's stolen car, a 2012 silver Range Rover, license plate U26-BVD, Monday in a garage on Renner Ave. in Newark, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray and Millburn Police Chief Greogry Weber said in a joint statement.
The two unidentified suspects were not found with the vehicle, authorities said.
WABC
Police converged on the car Monday morning after issuing an alert. The suspects were not found with the vehicle.
The horrific holiday shopping shooting occurred around 9 p.m. when the couple returned to their vehicle, parked in third level garage near Nordstrom. As Friedland approached the driver’s side of the SUV, the suspects fired four shots, one of which killed him, the Newark Star-Ledger reported.
RELATED: NJ MALL SHOOTING SUSPECT RICHARD SHOOP POSSIBLY PLANNED 'SUICIDE BY COP': PROSECUTOR
"We do not know why that car (was targeted), but it obviously was a car with some value," Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said Sunday.
WABC
Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said it is unclear why the two suspects targeted the silver Range Rover.
Friedland's wife was not injured during the atrocious incident.
The high-end New Jersey mall sports 150 shops, including Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. The mall usually closed at 6 p.m. but was open for extended holiday shopping.
"I hope the mall will take extra precautions and add security,” said an employee at Stuart Weitzman who declined to provide her name. “I’m not sure what the mall can do but it doesn’t feel so safe – especially after last night.”
WCBS
Police investigate the scene of the fatal shooting, which occurred on the third-floor of a parking garage near Nordstrom.
The area where Friedland was gunned down is still being cordoned off by police, a separate mall worker said. Employees were left in the dark as the choas unfolded last night, according to the worker.
“I am scared,” she said. “I feel like why do we practice safety if we don’t use it.”
RELATED: KENYA MALL VIDEO SHOWS TERRORISTS CASUALLY GUN DOWN SHOPPERS
WCBS
Friedland, 30, from Hudson County, died after being shot in the head during a violent carjacking the parking deck of The Mall at Short Hills in New Jersey. He’s seen here being taken away from the scene of the crime.
A spokesperson for The Mall at Short Hills declined to comment on the incident.
Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to call 877-847-7432. A $10,000 reward has been issued for information that leads to the suspect's arrest, cops said.
This is the second time recently that there has been bloodshed at a mall in New Jersey. Richard Shoop was fatally wounded by police in November after terrorizing patrons of the Garden State Plaza Mall with a high-powered rifle. Shoop, a 20-year-old man with a history of drug abuse, opened fire at the mall, but did not hit anyone.
WCBS
The mall had been open later than its normal to accommodate holiday shoppers.
There have been several reported carjackings at the chic mall in the past few years, according to the Star-Ledger.
In the past few years:
- A 56-year-old woman was carjacked by a Hillside man who forced his way into a car, wielding a knife and demanding money in 2009.
Google Maps
The up-scale mall is located in Short Hills, N.J., a roughly 25 miles away from New York City.
- In 2006, a gun-toting crook stuck up two women outside of a mall restaurant, stealing their 2004 Jeep Liberty.
- Back in 2002, an elderly woman had her Cadillac stolen from a parking lot near Saks Fifth Avenue. The assailant forced his way into the 76-year-old woman’s vehicle.
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