Prosecutor Still Not Releasing Shooting Details

As authorities continue to probe the late-night shooting in Boonton that killed a 27-year-old woman and wounded her 26-year-old husband Tuesday, the Morris County Prosecutor's Office has still only confirmed limited information regarding the incident.

Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi has confirmed the shooting was a targeted attack, but said Thursday more releasing more information could compromise the investigation.

“Attorneys, detectives and support staff from the Morris County Prosecutor's Office along with the Morris County Sheriff's Office and the Boonton Police Department have been working around the clock on this investigation," Bianchi said in a prepared statement.

"We will not publicly release information which could ultimately compromise our ongoing investigation," his statement continued. "To be clear, my primary concern is to professionally solve this crime and being able to prove same in a court of law. Doing it the right way takes time and patience. While not releasing information at this time may be frustrating, it is being done so that our paramount objective of arresting and prosecuting the person(s) responsible for this brutal slaying are brought to justice."

What is known is that after celebrating Ramadan with relatives Tuesday, Nazish Noorani, 27, and her husband Kashif Pervaiz, 26, were shot as they walked down Cedar Street in Boonton with their 3-year-old son. Noorani died on the scene. Pervaiz was wounded and hospitalized. The child was uninjured.

Early on, some speculated that the shooting was a bias crime against Muslims, but Boonton Town Police Chief Michael Beltran dismissed that notion Wednesday, stating that Muslims have lived peacefully in the tiny town for 50 years.

In the meantime, the investigation continues to determine what really happened. Noorani's funeral will be held Friday in Boonton at the Jam-e-Masjid Islamic Center on Harrison Street at 1:30 p.m.

"We appreciate that the family and community wish to learn of the circumstances of this terrible tragedy," Bianchi said, adding that authorities remain tight-lipped while determining the facts and to keep unsubstantiated rumors from spreading. "Hence, we will release information when it is determined to be practically feasible and when we are assured that the data is correct and not based on faulty speculation.”