An argument between two men Wednesday left one dead and the other facing a murder charge in Wildwood Crest, authorities said.
Carmine Neri, 63, a resident of Wildwood Crest, is accused in the deadly shooting of Joseph Falciani at a home on East Cresse Avenue, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland said in a news release.
Neri was found in the living room with a gun in his jeans pocket when police arrived and was taken into custody, according to Sutherland.
Wildwood Crest police officers discovered Falciani lying on his back at the top of a staircase with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.
Lifesaving measures were attempted but were unsuccessful. Falciani was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Falciani’s age and hometown were not immediately released.
Detectives from the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and Wildwood Crest Police Department initiated an investigation, including witness interviews, forensic evidence collection and the execution of search warrants.
Statements from two people present at the time of the shooting indicated that an argument between Neri and Falciani escalated to the second story of the residence.
A single gunshot was heard, and witnesses discovered Falciani lying at the top of the staircase while Neri held a firearm, according to Sutherland.
Neri has been charged with murder, child endangerment and a weapons offense. He remains in custody in the Cape May County Correctional Facility.
