On the late evening of August 4, 2021, 29-year-old Linden resident Grady Jilus was found in a parking lot on the 600 block of Morningside Avenue shortly after 8:45 p.m. Linden Police responding to reports of a seriously injured person discovered Jilus with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Union County Homicide Task Force is leading the investigation with assistance from the Linden Police Department, the Union County Police Department Ballistics Unit, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit. Authorities have appealed to the public for information and have offered a reward of up to $5,000 for tips that lead to an indictment and conviction. No arrests or suspects have been publicly identified and officials have not released a motive.

If anyone in Linden that night saw something unusual in the area of Morningside Avenue or has information about this shooting, please come forward.