Monmouth County Man Indicted For 2023 Shooting

ASBURY PARK – A Long Branch man has received a nine-count indictment for killing a man and injuring two others in connection with a July 2023 shooting, officials said.

Michael Sally, 19, was indicted on one count each of first-degree Murder, Attempted Murder, Conspiracy and Gang Criminality, two counts of second-degree Aggravated Assault, one count each of second-degree Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and one count of third-degree Receiving Stolen Property.

A second individual was charged as a juvenile defendant and their case remains pending in family court, officials said.

On July 3, 2023, around 10:30 p.m., police were dispatched to the Asbury Park Gardens apartment complex on Atlantic Avenue for a report of a shooting. Officers found three victims – all adult men.

The three victims were rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where two were treated for their injuries and released. The third victim, Lativity Lyons, 21, of Asbury Park, succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 10:50 p.m.

A fourth victim, the intended target of the shooting, was uninjured, officials said.

Police investigation led to Sally as one of the individuals responsible for the shooting. He was located and apprehended on June 5 in Long Branch. Sally was transported to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) where he remains incarcerated, as a motion by the State to keep him detained was granted.

Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law.