Horrible News.

Media Attorney and Rutledge Mayor C. Scott Shields died today while skydiving in Monroe Township, N.J.

Details on what happened are sketchy but the Gloucester County Times posted this about a couple hours ago.

MONROE TWP. — A man died this afternoon following a skydiving accident at Cross Keys Airport, Monroe Township police Det. Lt. Joe Smart said.

He declined to identify the victim pending notification of family but said the man was skydiving at Freefall Adventures Inc., located at the airport on Dahlia Avenue.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the exact cause of what Smart said has been deemed an accident.

“At this point in time, we don’t know the cause,” he said. “It could have been a health issue, it could have been mechanical failure, it could have been human error.”

Smart added that authorities don’t believe the victim was a novice jumper. A first-time skydiver, or “tandem jumper,” would have to jump with an experienced mentor.

“From what we’ve gathered, we think he was an experienced jumper,” he said.

A friend of Scott's called me at home to see if I knew anything about it. Apparently, at least some members of his family have been notified. Messages of grief and goodbyes have been left on his Facebook page.

Scott was an incredibly nice guy who never shied away from taking on an unpopular client if he thought their constitutional rights were being trifled with.

He used to post comments on this blog under the moniker Pro Christ Pro Gun. Always the gentleman, even people who disagreed with his politics couldn't help liking him. He had a huge heart and was a principled man.

This is a terrible loss.