Judge issues gag order in Long Branch murder case

A Monmouth County judge has issued a gag order in the case of a 16-year-old accused of killing three family members and a family friend on New Year’s Eve in Long Branch.
“As long as matter remains in [Family Court], no [additional] information can or will be forthcoming from this office,” the Monmouth County Prosecutor posted on Twitter.
The judge also decided that the teen will remain at the juvenile detention facility for the time being. Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni says that he plans to seek to try the teen as an adult.
The 16-year-old is accused of killing his parents, Steven and Linda Kologi, 18-year-old sister Brittany Kologi, and a family friend, 70-year-old Mary Schultz, with a semi-automatic rifle.
The rifle was legally owned by a member of the Kologi family, according to officials. Family friends tell News 12 New Jersey that the gun belonged to the teen’s older brother, 20-year-old Steven Kologi Jr., who recently enlisted in the military.
The brother, grandfather and another family friend were able to escape the shooting unharmed.
An outpouring of grief continues in the community as visitors arrived at the family’s home to lay out flowers and photographs.
“They made a big impact on the whole community, so it’s really important to give back to them,” says family friend Shannon Nutley. “If it was any one of our families, they would have given back to us.”
A vigil held Tuesday night for the victims was attended by dozens of mourners.
A GoFundMe page set up to help cover funeral expenses has raised more than $30,000.