In the late hours of a Friday night in Atlantic City, the life of David Blackwell Jr., a 31-year-old man from Hammonton, New Jersey, was tragically cut short. On May 5, 2017, at approximately 10:15 p.m., police responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a man down in the 800 block of N. Virginia Avenue. Upon arrival outside the Barclay Arms Apartments, officers discovered Blackwell unresponsive, having sustained a gunshot wound.
Emergency medical personnel from Atlantic City EMS and AtlantiCare
paramedics were dispatched to the scene, but their efforts were in vain. David Blackwell Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:45 p.m. The investigation into his death was swiftly launched, with the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Major Crimes Unit and the Atlantic City Police Department's Violent Crimes Unit taking the lead.
In the days following the shooting, authorities publicly identified Blackwell as the victim and appealed to the public for any information that might lead to an arrest. The investigation into the homicide was active and ongoing, but details regarding a potential suspect or motive were not released. Community members in the Back Maryland section of the city, where the shooting occurred, expressed concerns about a recent spike in violence. As of now, public records do not indicate that an arrest has been made in connection with the death of David Blackwell Jr.
