The quiet residential neighborhood of Riverside Drive in New Brunswick was shattered on Sunday afternoon, February 22, 2026, when a 31-year-old man was gunned down by his own brother inside their family home.
Police responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired at approximately 12:42 p.m. at a residence on Riverside Drive, arriving to find Ahmad Sannoh suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his head and chest. Despite being rushed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Ahmad was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, leaving a community and a family in utter disbelief.
The investigation, led by New Brunswick Police Detective Brandt Gregus and Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Stephanie Redline, swiftly identified the perpetrator as the victim’s brother, 28-year-old Hassan Sannoh, who was arrested at the scene.
Both brothers resided at the same address on Riverside Drive, a fact that underscored the intimate and deeply personal nature of the tragedy. Prosecutors confirmed that the shooting was “not a random act of violence,” though they have not disclosed what sparked the fatal confrontation between the siblings.
Hassan Sannoh was formally charged with first-degree murder, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. He was transported to the Middlesex County Adult Correctional Center pending a pretrial detention hearing. The charges reflect the severity of an act that has torn a family apart and left neighbors in the Riverside Drive area grappling with the shock of a violent death occurring so close to home.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, friends and loved ones took to social media to mourn Ahmad, painting a portrait of a young man whose life was defined by warmth and community ties. “Ahmad was a good Young man. Always playing basketball when he was younger. My heart is broken,” one family friend posted on Facebook.
Another friend expressed the profound sense of loss felt by those who knew him, writing, “I’m beyond tired of saying RIP to my close friends & people I grew up with. This one has me speechless. I would never understand this one. Rest Easy Bro! Literally just spoke to you the other day.”
The investigation remains active and ongoing, with authorities urging anyone with information or surveillance footage from the area around Riverside Drive to come forward. Tips can be directed to Detective Gregus at 732-745-5217 or Detective Redline at 732-745-3316.
As the legal process moves forward against Hassan Sannoh, the community is left to mourn Ahmad Sannoh, a 31-year-old life cut short by an act of violence within the very walls where family should have meant safety, leaving behind friends and loved ones who never imagined they would be saying goodbye to him this way.