Man charged in fatal shooting of mother, 13-year-old daughter in Trenton

A 45-year-old man was arrested and charged with the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old woman and her 13-year-old daughter in their Trenton home over the weekend, authorities announced Thursday.

Bahin Lynch, of Trenton, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and related weapons offenses for the deaths of his ex-girlfriend Malika Whiting and her daughter Jairah Biggs, Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D. Marbrey and Trenton Police Director Steve Wilson said in a statement.

Lynch was being held at the Mercer County Correction Center, and Marbrey said her office would seek to have Lynch held pending his trial.

On Saturday around 10:30 a.m., Trenton police responded to a 911 call reporting two deceased victims at a residence on the 300 block of West State Street, Marbrey said.

Officers found the teenage girl with a gunshot wound in a third-floor bedroom and her mother with a gunshot wound on the stairway leading to the third floor, Marbrey said. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

Marbrey did not state a motive and said the investigation was ongoing.

A GoFundMe page has been established for the surviving family members.

Trenton Mayor W. Reed Gusciora said in a statement Sunday: “The news of this horrific act of violence has shaken our community. The family’s roots are in the community and throughout the City. No mother and daughter should ever be taken from this world in such a tragic and violent way.”

Gusciora said authorities were “working tirelessly to bring justice to the victims and their family.”

He added: “We must all play a role in ending the cycle of violence that continues to rob us of our loved ones and tear apart our community. This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent work that still lies ahead to ensure safety and peace in every neighborhood.”