Javonne Davis, a 15-year-old male, was a promising freshman at Camden High School with dreams of playing professional football and owning his own barbershop after earning a business degree. He was a participant in the Rutgers University Future Scholars Program, which provides full scholarships to low-income students who complete the five-year preparatory program.
Despite facing personal hardships, including the death of his father and homelessness, he remained optimistic and was known for his kindness, even repairing and giving away bicycles to neighborhood children.
On the afternoon of November 13, 2018, as Javonne was walking home from school, a tragic event unfolded that cut his promising life short. A fight that had reportedly started inside the school earlier spilled out into the streets. Near the corner of Princess and Euclid Avenues, a gunman fired multiple shots at Javonne. Police found him shortly after 3:30 p.m. with several gunshot wounds. He was rushed to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later. His mother had previously reported to school and law enforcement officials that another student had threatened to shoot him following a dispute a week prior.
The investigation into Javonne's death led to the arrest of another 15-year-old, Kidron Roberts, who was taken into custody at his home by federal marshals. Roberts was charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses. He was detained at the county's Juvenile Detention Center. While authorities did not immediately disclose a definitive motive for the shooting, the arrest brought a swift, if somber, development to a case that had deeply affected the Camden community.
