02/20/2023
Members of a Linden family were found deceased yesterday morning in their home, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel and Linden Police Chief David Hart announced today.
At approximately 9:30 yesterday morning, members of the Linden Police Department responded to 18 Chatham Place in the City to conduct a welfare check. Upon their arrival, they located two males and two females who had sustained gunshot wounds. Three of the family members, Justyna Nieroda, 41, Krzysztof Nieroda, 41 and Natalia Nieroda, 13 were pronounced dead at the scene. Sebastian Nieroda, 14, was found alive in critical condition. He was transported to University Hospital in Newark, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
A joint investigation conducted by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the Linden Police Department revealed that during the morning hours, Krzysztof Nieroda shot his wife Justyna, his son Sebastian and his daughter Natalie. He subsequently contacted a family member via telephone and divulged that he had shot and killed his wife and children. Soon thereafter, Krzysztof Nieroda killed himself with a single gunshot to the head. The murder weapon was located in his hand when authorities arrived.
“In tragedies of this magnitude, there are no words that can heal, nor explanations that can serve to make sense of them to the public. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of these victims and to the Linden community as a whole in the wake of this horrible event”, said Prosecutor Daniel.
"It is difficult to find the words to describe the impact a tragedy like this has on our community, particularly for the families, our children, and first responders," said Police Chief David Hart. "We are not alone in our grief; each of us has a shared responsibility to be there for our loved ones as we mourn the loss of our friends and neighbors. If you or someone you know may be suffering, please don't hesitate to ask for help before a crisis occurs."
