A jury has convicted a Salem City man of murder in the killing of two people during a domestic dispute.
Desmond D. Lane, 30, has been charged in the shooting deaths of Derek Akins, 28, of Salem, and John Robinson, 33, of Penns Grove, in an incident at a Salem residence in October 2020.
Police had been called to the home twice before the shooting, with residents asking that Lane be evicted from the property, according to court documents.
A woman injured in the shooting told police that Lane got into a fight with her brother and cousin, and when the two men retreated upstairs, Lane began firing a handgun, hitting both victims, investigators said at the time.
He then fired several bullets at the victims as they lay on the ground, police said.
Lane surrendered to authorities days later and was charged the following year.
A Salem County jury convicted Lane earlier this month of two counts of murder, one count of aggravated assault and one count of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Judgment is scheduled for April 28.
Editor’s Note: Contact the New Jersey Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-572-SAFE (7233). Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), chat with their advocates here, or text LOVEIS to 22522.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today at NJ.com.
Matt Gray can be contacted at [email protected]
