On a Saturday evening in Camden, New Jersey, a dispute between two acquaintances escalated into a fatal encounter. Twenty-eight-year-old Luis A. Feliu was found lying on the sidewalk at the corner of Haddon Avenue and Mount Vernon Street on March 12, 2016. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to Cooper University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at 5:44 p.m.
The incident was preceded by reports of a fight in the area and a ShotSpotter activation for the sound of gunfire, which brought Camden County Police to the scene around 5:20 p.m.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a suspect. Witnesses reported that Feliu had been involved in an argument with another man on the street. According to their accounts, the man left the scene only to return a short time later, at which point the altercation intensified. One witness told investigators they saw the man pull out a silver handgun, chase after Feliu, and shoot him twice in the torso. Another witness reported seeing the same man fleeing the scene with a gun in his hand. His image was also captured on video surveillance in the area.
Three days after the shooting, authorities apprehended 29-year-old Jerry Reyes. He was captured by the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force as he was leaving a house in Willingboro. Reyes, who had known Feliu since high school, was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon. While he admitted to having an altercation with Feliu, he denied being the shooter, claiming another man was responsible for firing the weapon. In June 2016, a grand jury indicted Reyes on the murder charge. He was held at the Camden County Jail on $1 million bail.
