Long Branch youth to be charged with four counts of murder

Long Branch – Fifteen minutes before 2018 arrived, a 16-year old took his brothers legally owned AK-47 semiautomatic rifle and executed his parents, sister and family friend.

Monmouth County Sheriff command vehicle outside the home in Long Branch where 18-year old Brittany Kologi (insert) along with her parents and family friend were killed by a 16-year old family member

According to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni, the Long Branch Police were dispatched to 635 Wall Street on reports of shots fired at 11:43 p.m. on December 31, 2017. What the responding officers discovered was that four people were killed and two had escaped the shootings.

Gramiccioni has not yet identified the 16-year old accused killer, but he has identified the victims. Steven Kologi 44, his wife Linda Kologi 42, their 18-year old daughter Brittany Kologi and 70-year old Mary Schultz, a family friend who lived with the family.

The grandfather of the alleged killer was able to flee the house with his other grandson; who police have not identified. The Link News has learned from police sources that weapon used was an AK-47 semiautomatic rifle which was legally owned by one of the Kologi children. We also learned that several years ago Steven Kologi had applied to be a Long Branch police officer.

Police have not disclosed how the accused killer was able to retrieve the AK-47 semiautomatic rifle and the ammunition. That part of the case is still under investigation.

Gramiccioni has stated that the 16-year old accused of murdering his family will be charged as an adult with four counts of murder. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Andrea Tozzi, of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443, or Detective Michael Verdadiero of the Long Branch Police Department at 732-222-1000.