Murder Suspect Maxwell Johnston Ends Life After Standoff

A standoff between police and murder suspect Maxwell Johnston in Toms River, ended early this evening when the suspect shot himself to death.

Johnston, 35 of Seaside Heights, was charged with the murder of 25-year-old Gabriella Caroleo, also of Seaside Heights.

The murder was committed last week in Manchester Township.

Suspect Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wounds

Johnston took his own life after a nearly 7-hour standoff at a home on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D.Billhimer and Toms River Township Police Chief Mitchell Little said in a joint release,

I’d like to commend the men & women in law enforcement that spent the day trying to bring this situation to a peaceful resolution. There were many tense moments and the men & women that were out there handled themselves professionally and thankfully none of them were injured.

Law enforcement flooded the area as the standoff began.

According to unconfirmed reports, Johnston had fired shots at officers during the standoff, but fortunately, there were no injuries.

Multiple Law Enforcement Agencies Collaborate

Law enforcement from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department Emergency Services Unit, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Toms River Police SWAT Team, Toms River Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and United States Marshal’s Service collaborated to bring this situation to an end.