TWO TEENAGERS CHARGED IN FATAL SHOOTING OF RISING TIKTOK INFLUENCER ON LONG BRANCH BEACH

Two teenagers have been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old TikTok influencer Chrystofer A. Whyte earlier this month on the beach at Pier Village in Long Branch, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced.

Whyte, of North Brunswick, was found on June 12 with a single gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.

One of the suspects, a juvenile whose name is being withheld due to his age, has been charged with murder and is being held at a juvenile detention center. He faces multiple juvenile complaints, including murder, conspiracy to commit unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a prohibited weapon, and hindering apprehension.

The second suspect, 18-year-old Dwayne Exilus of Woodbridge, has been charged with second-degree conspiracy to commit unlawful possession of a weapon, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, third-degree hindering apprehension, and fourth-degree possession of a prohibited weapon.

Whyte was gaining traction on TikTok, nearing 100,000 followers—a milestone often associated with macro-influencer status. His final video, posted just hours before his death, was filmed on the same beach where he was killed.

The investigation remains active and is being led by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and the Long Branch Police Department, Santiago said.