Man Wanted for Murder After Deadly Shooting Outside Toms River Wawa

Authorities are searching for a 51-year-old Toms River man accused of fatally shooting another man outside a Wawa Friday morning.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced that Douglas Cobb, 51, has been charged with murder in the death of Bruce Gress, 42, of Toms River.

Toms River police were called to the Wawa at Route 37 and Garfield Avenue around 7:20 a.m. after receiving a report of a person suffering from a gunshot wound.

Officers found Gress with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was later pronounced dead.

Investigators with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Toms River Township Police Department and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office identified Cobb as the man accused of shooting Gress.

Cobb has also been charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and being a certain person prohibited from possessing a weapon.

Authorities said Cobb had not been taken into custody as of the prosecutor’s announcement. A warrant has been issued for his arrest, and he has been entered into the National Crime Information Center database as a fugitive.

Cobb is also known as Douglas Green and goes by the nickname “Bootknock.”

He was last seen driving a black 2016 Acura MDX with New Jersey license plate T93YJL.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer urged anyone who knows Cobb to encourage him to surrender peacefully.

Anyone with credible information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit at 732-929-2027 or the Toms River Township Police Department at 732-349-0150.