In the Bergen Square neighborhood of Camden, New Jersey, a dispute between two men escalated into a fatal act of violence, cutting short the life of 27-year-old Amir Adams. A Black male, Adams was a man with a future he was eagerly planning, including a Christmas proposal to his pregnant girlfriend, a secret she would tragically only learn of after his death.
The events leading to the fatal encounter began a day earlier when Adams was involved in a physical altercation with another man,
Nasir Coar. In that confrontation, Coar was reportedly pistol-whipped. Seeking retaliation, the 22-year-old from Pennsauken returned the following day, December 9, 2016. In broad daylight on the 700 block of Walnut Street, Coar allegedly shot Adams multiple times. Emergency services responded to the scene and transported Adams to Cooper University Hospital, but his injuries proved too severe, and he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed toward Coar as the prime suspect. Eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage from the area were instrumental in building the case against him. The video evidence captured a white vehicle, registered to Coar's aunt but regularly used by him, at the scene of the crime. This same vehicle was later located at the Ablett Village housing complex. A search of the car's trunk uncovered a bloody sweatshirt, which was believed to be linked to the initial fight that had set the tragic events in motion.
On January 24, 2017, authorities arrested Nasir Coar and charged him with first-degree murder in the death of Amir Adams. At the time of his arrest, Coar was already facing separate charges for drug and weapons offenses and had a prior conviction for drug possession with intent to distribute. Following his arrest for the murder, the court ordered him to be held at the Camden County Jail without bail pending his trial.
