In the quiet community of Edgewater Park, New Jersey, a birthday celebration turned into a scene of tragedy in the early morning hours of Sunday, January 24, 2021. Inside a home on Dogwood Road, friends and family had gathered to celebrate Donte Benns' 29th birthday. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and music until approximately 1 a.m., when the festivities were shattered by the sound of gunfire.
Marcus Thompson, a 29-year-old man from Willingboro, was inside the house when multiple bullets pierced through the walls and door. He was struck by the gunfire in the kitchen. His friend, Donte Benns, rushed to his side, but Thompson succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Benns later recounted the harrowing experience of watching his friend take his last breath in his arms. The celebratory gathering was plunged into chaos and grief as another victim, 29-year-old James A.
Gist III of Westampton, was discovered fatally shot in his car parked outside the residence.
In the aftermath of the shooting, law enforcement descended upon the normally peaceful neighborhood. The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office and the Edgewater Park Township Police Department launched an investigation into the double homicide. They determined that Thompson and Gist were the only two individuals struck by the gunfire, despite there being about ten people at the party. Investigators found numerous shell casings outside the home, indicating the shots were fired from outside.
Despite the initial investigation and appeals to the public for information, no arrests were immediately made in connection with the murders of Marcus Thompson and James Gist III. The motive behind the shooting remained unclear to investigators in the days following the incident. The community was left in shock, and the families of the two young men were left to mourn their devastating and sudden loss, with the perpetrators still at large.
