In the early hours of December 23, 2015, the life of 22-year-old Stephen Bennett, Jr., a Black male from Camden, New Jersey, was tragically cut short. The fatal incident unfolded near the intersection of 6th Street and Ferry Avenue, in the shadow of the Interstate 676 overpass. Responding to a ShotSpotter notification and several 911 calls reporting gunfire, Camden County police discovered Bennett lying on the sidewalk.
He was swiftly transported to Cooper University Hospital, but his
injuries proved too severe. Bennett was pronounced dead at 1:44 a.m. The cause of his death was a shooting, adding to the city's significant number of homicides that year.
Despite the immediate response of law enforcement and an ongoing investigation by the Camden County Prosecutor's Office, no arrests have been made in connection with Bennett's death. The case remains unsolved, and authorities have continued to appeal to the public for any information that might lead to the identification and apprehension of a suspect or suspects. The lack of closure in Bennett's case reflects the broader challenges faced by law enforcement in resolving violent crimes in the city at the time.
