An 18-year-old Black male named Altarrek Bell tragically lost his life on March 27, 2021, in a selfless act of heroism. Bell, who was visiting from his home in North Carolina, was in a parked car at the Orchard Park Apartments in Edgewater Park, New Jersey, with his girlfriend's 10-year-old nephew and two others. In an instant, the vehicle was sprayed with bullets, and without hesitation, Bell shielded the young boy from the gunfire, ultimately sacrificing his own life to save him.
The driver of the vehicle, 25-year-old Sadiel Gonzalez, was also fatally wounded in the attack. The 10-year-old boy and another passenger in the car were unharmed, a direct result of Bell's courageous actions.
The incident was not a random act of violence; an investigation revealed that the shooting stemmed from an earlier confrontation at a water ice store in the neighboring town of Willingboro.
Following an intensive investigation by law enforcement, two suspects were identified and taken into custody in connection with the double homicide. Andre Price, a 33-year-old from Willingboro, was apprehended and faced a litany of charges, including two counts of first-degree murder. A second suspect, 37-year-old Yefaan Thompson, also from Willingboro, was later arrested and charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy, and other related offenses for his role in the fatal shooting.
