A day after a Franklinville man was found lying dead on a city street from multiple gunshot wounds, his criminal history revealed he was no stranger to the law.
Police were summoned to East Hanover Street on reports of gunfire just before midnight on Wednesday and saw 26-year-old Keith Day on the ground bleeding excessively. He was later pronounced dead at Capital Health Regional Medical Center, according to the prosecutor’s office.
A criminal complaint by the Trenton Municipal Court shows Day was arrested May 12 on the 300 block of Rutherford Ave, less than a 100 feet away from Gregory Elementary School, for possession and for a distributable amount of marijuana and for possession of crack-cocaine.
A third degree crime, Day was released a day later on a $2,500 bail, according to the complaint.
“I don’t know his exact criminal history,” said Trenton Police Lt. Mark Kieffer. “Nor am I able to release that information at this time.”
A deeper look into Day’s priors paints a picture of a man who was a danger to society. In July of 2013, he allegedly fired shots near a crowd of people on Hudson Street. Authorities asked the then 25-year-old to drop his weapon and when he instead turned the gun on police, cops were forced to shoot at the suspect, wounding Day, who managed to flee the scene. He later turned up at Lourdes Medical Center in Willingboro with gunshot wounds before being transferred to another facility under police guard.
On Feb. 19, Day was indicted on six counts including two-counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, weapons offenses and resisting arrest, according to the Mercer County prosecutor’s office. It’s unclear on what sort of jail time he would have been facing.
Police would not confirm or deny if there are “people of interest” related to the city’s most recent homicide.
The Mercer County Homicide Task Force is taking the lead on the investigation and anyone with information is asked to call Det. Eric Hastings at (609) 989-6400. Anyone with information is asked to call (609) 989-6406, or use the Trenton police confidential tip line at (609) 989-3663. Tipsters may also call the Trenton Crime Stoppers tipline at (609) 278-8477. Those wishing to text a tip regarding the killing or any of the other crimes can send a message labeled TCSTIPS to Trenton Crime Stoppers at 274637.