NJ man going to jail for 18 years after 2024 shooting left woman shot in the head

A man is facing nearly two decades in prison after a shooting that left a woman hurt when she was hit by a stray bullet in Wildwood, New Jersey, according to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office.

The shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, at the Cattle ‘n Clover Restaurant along the 3800 block of Pacific Avenue, officials said.

When police arrived to the scene, they found a 20-year-old woman suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

Surveillance video from the restaurant showed a man, later identified by police as William Hoyle, firing a gun and shooting the victim in the head.

Police said the woman was an innocent bystander and not Hoyle’s intended target.

The surveillance video also showed Hoyle running after another man and shooting at him multiple times, according to the criminal complaint.

Hoyle turned himself into the Camden Police Department on Thursday, July 11, 2024, after an arrest warrant was issued.

Then, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, Hoyle was sentenced to 18 years in New Jersey State Prison on the charge of first-degree attempted murder.