On the night of November 5, a shooting outside a 7‑Eleven/Valero gas station in Bordentown Township left two men dead, prompting a rapid police response and a subsequent arrest of two suspects.
The victims were Daniel Patterson, 22, from Philadelphia, and Mason Knott, 21, from Wrightstown. Both were shot in the parking lot of the convenience store.
The incident occurred at the intersection of Route 130 north and Farnsworth Avenue, a location that saw police called at approximately 11:30 p.m. after a wounded man entered the store seeking help.
Police responded to the call and found Patterson outside the store collapsed, where he later died on scene. Knott was transported to an area hospital and later died there.
Patterson’s body was found with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the autopsy report released by prosecutors.
Knott’s death was attributed to a single shot to the head, as determined by the autopsy.
Both autopsies were conducted by the Burlington County medical examiner, and the findings were used to establish the cause of death.
Prosecutors named Justford Doe, 23, of Philadelphia, and Giovanni Varanese, 21, of Cherry Hill, as the suspects charged with murder and related offenses.
After the shooting, the suspects fled in a Jeep, which they later crashed, and then continued on foot.
The crash forced the suspects to abandon the vehicle, after which they attempted to evade law enforcement on foot.
Following the investigation, warrants were served on Doe and Varanese inside the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, where they were being held for unrelated offenses.
The arrests took place within the prison facility, and the suspects were immediately booked into the Philadelphia Department of Prisons system.
Both suspects face murder charges, along with additional related counts, pending further legal proceedings in Burlington County.
Prosecutors plan to extradite the suspects to New Jersey, where the case will be presented to a Burlington County grand jury for possible indictment.
The grand jury will review the evidence, and if it finds sufficient grounds, it will issue an indictment that could lead to trial.
Police officers arrived at the scene within minutes of the 11:30 p.m. call, securing the area and beginning preliminary investigations while awaiting further information from witnesses.
The Jeep used by the suspects was described by witnesses as a 2015 Ford Escape, though no identifying plates were found after the crash.
Extradition procedures will involve coordination between the Philadelphia Department of Prisons and Burlington County authorities, ensuring the suspects are transported under secure conditions.
Key takeaways
- Two men were killed in a shooting outside a New Jersey gas station on November 5.
- The victims were Daniel Patterson, 22, and Mason Knott, 21.
- Suspects Justford Doe, 23, and Giovanni Varanese, 21, were arrested in Philadelphia and charged with murder.
- The suspects will be extradited to New Jersey for grand jury review.
The incident underscores the ongoing challenges of gun violence in the region, and authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
