On a summer evening in Camden, New Jersey, the life of 21-year-old Braniya James was tragically cut short. She was a young Black/African American woman who found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time on August 8, 2016. While standing outside a barbershop on the 800 block of South 6th Street, a place known as a local gathering spot, she was struck by multiple bullets in her upper body.
The shots rang out at approximately 8:45 p.m., shattering the calm of the evening and forever altering the lives of those present. Another young woman, 18-year-old Essynce Blakney, was also wounded in the attack but thankfully survived. Braniya was rushed to Cooper University Hospital, but her injuries were too severe, and she was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.
The investigation into the shooting painted a grim picture of a brazen act of violence. Eyewitnesses and surveillance footage pieced together the events of that fateful night, leading investigators to identify 23-year-old Robinson Vazquez Jr. as the suspected gunman. Witnesses described a man, later identified as Vazquez, riding a bicycle towards the barbershop before opening fire on the two women. One witness, who knew Vazquez from the neighborhood, positively identified him as the shooter. Another witness, though they did not see the shooting itself, provided a description of a man matching Vazquez's appearance cycling towards the barbershop, hearing gunshots, and then seeing the same man pedal away from the scene. A distinctive bull's-eye tattoo between Vazquez's eyes also aided in his identification.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Robinson Vazquez Jr. fled the state in an attempt to evade capture. His flight from justice was short-lived, however, as law enforcement tracked him to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. On September 7, 2016, he was apprehended by U.S. Marshals and local sheriff's officers. Vazquez was extradited back to New Jersey to face charges of murder for the death of Braniya James and attempted murder for the injuries sustained by Essynce Blakney. He was held on a $1.5 million bail at the Camden County Jail. While the motive for this senseless act of violence remained unclear, the evidence against Vazquez, including witness testimonies and surveillance video, provided a path towards justice for Braniya and her loved ones.
