Prosecutor: Area Teen Indicted on Murder & Related Charges in 2023 Triple Shooting

An area teen has been indicted on charges related to a July 2023 triple shooting that left one man dead and two others injured, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Tuesday.

Michael Sally, 19, of Long Branch, was indicted on: one count each of first-degree murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and gang criminality, two counts of second-degree aggravated assault; one count each of second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon; and one count of third-degree receiving stolen property.

A second person was charged as a juvenile defendant and their case remains pending in family court.

The case background …

Shortly after 10:30 p.m. on Monday, July 3, 2023, Asbury Park police were dispatched to the Asbury Park Gardens apartment complex on Atlantic Avenue for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found the three victims, all adult males who had sustained injuries.

The three victims were rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where two were treated for their injuries and released. The third victim, Lativity Lyons, 21, of Asbury Park, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 10:50 p.m. A fourth victim, the intended target of the shooting, was uninjured.

The investigation into Lyons’ death, led by members of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Asbury Park Police Department, resulted in Sally being identified as one of the individuals responsible.

Sally was found and arrested on Wednesday, June 5, in Long Branch by members of the Prosecutor’s Office, the Asbury Park Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Sally was transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) where he remains incarcerated, as a motion by the state to keep him detained was granted.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Cummings of the MCPO Major Crimes Bureau and Assistant Prosecutor Travis Clark. Sally is being represented by Michael R. Rosas, Esq., with an office in East Brunswick.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office