Det. Joseph Seals, a married father of five, was shot dead on Dec. 10.
December 16, 2019, 5:29 PM
6 min read
A Jersey City, New Jersey, police officer will be laid to rest Tuesday, one week after he was shot dead before a massive gun battle.
Joseph Seals, a plainclothes detective and married father of five, was the first victim of the Dec. 10 shootings.
Seals, 39, was killed at the Bay View Cemetery in Jersey City, allegedly by David Anderson and Francine Graham.
People hold candles at a vigil for Jersey City Detective Joseph Seals outside Queen of Peace Church in North Arlington, N.J., Dec. 15, 2019.
People hold candles at a vigil for Jersey City Detective Joseph Seals outside Queen of Peace Church in North Arlington, N.J., Dec. 15, 2019.NorthJersey.com via USA Today Network
The two suspects -- armed with multiple guns -- then stormed the Jersey City Kosher Supermarket, about 1 mile from the cemetery, where they allegedly killed three others.
Anderson and Graham died in the market during an hours-long shootout with police.
The motivation behind Seals' murder and the market attack "clearly appears to be a bias towards both the Jewish community and law enforcement," said Craig Carpenito, U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey.
Bunting hangs on the Greenville precinct building in Jersey City, N.J. on Dec. 11, 2019, the day after Detective Joseph Seals was killed by two suspects in an anti-Semitic attack.
Bunting hangs on the Greenville precinct building in Jersey City, N.J. on Dec. 11, 2019, the day after Detective Joseph Seals was killed by two suspects in an anti-Semitic attack.Seth Wenig/AP, FILE
Anderson and Graham were also prime suspects in the slaying of an Uber driver whose body was found on Dec. 7 in Bayonne, New Jersey, near Jersey City, investigators said.
Seals, a member of the Jersey City Police Department since 2006, was promoted to detective in 2017 and worked to take guns of the streets, reported ABC New York Station WABC.
Detective Joe Seals in a photo posted by the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association.
Detective Joe Seals in a photo posted by the Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association.Jersey City POBA
"We believe he was killed while trying to interdict these bad guys," Jersey City Police Chief Michael Kelly said, according to WABC.
Seals was also a "family man," neighbor Joe Vuocolo told WABC. "He loved his children, did everything with them."
A wake for the slain detective was scheduled for Monday. Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said police departments from surrounding towns have offered to help patrol Jersey City on Tuesday so Seals' colleagues can attend the Tuesday morning funeral.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory Ehrie on Monday asked anyone with information about the suspects to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
"The community needs to know that we continue to follow all leads in this investigation and will leave no stone unturned to find the facts connected with this case," Ehrie said.
ABC News' Aaron Katersky and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
