A New Jersey corrections officer was shot dead and his wife was injured when a gunman opened fire on their car Wednesday.

Locals said the suspect walked up to a burgundy GMC Acadia in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, early Wednesday morning before taking aim.

The two people inside the vehicle were a husband and wife who both worked as New Jersey state corrections officers.

Police said Laughfield Nicholson was killed. His wife, Joann Nicholson, was undergoing surgery but her condition had not been released.

Officers were scouring the area looking for a suspect, Ralph Johnson, who was in a family court dispute with Joann Nicholson.

Police believe that could be the motive for the shooting.