In the evening of October 20, 2016, a burst of violence on the 700 block of Chestnut Street in Camden, New Jersey, forever silenced 23-year-old Jamir Syms. The Camden County Police Department received multiple 911 calls at approximately 8:33 p.m. reporting a shooting. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Syms lying on the sidewalk, grievously wounded. He was rushed to Cooper University Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead at 8:43 p.m.
His death marked the 36th homicide in the city of Camden that year.
The investigation into the shooting revealed that the incident began as a robbery. Authorities learned that three men were involved in the robbery that ultimately led to the fatal shooting of Jamir Syms. Surveillance footage captured images of the three individuals, who were considered armed and dangerous. The police released these images to the public in an appeal for assistance in identifying the suspects. The investigation took a significant step forward when an acquaintance of one of the suspects saw the surveillance video and came forward to identify him.
This crucial tip led to the arrest of Rajhadd Kilpatrick, a 29-year-old Camden resident, in January 2017. Kilpatrick was charged with felony murder and armed robbery in connection with Syms' death. During the legal proceedings, the victim of the robbery identified Kilpatrick as the individual who shot Syms. Although Kilpatrick's legal team attempted to have his statement to the police suppressed, the motion was denied. Ultimately, in June 2019, Rajhadd Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter and received a 15-year prison sentence. While an appeal was later filed challenging pretrial rulings, the appellate court upheld the original conviction.
