In the working-class neighborhood of Cramer Hill in Camden, New Jersey, a day of unimaginable violence unfolded on September 6, 1949. A 28-year-old World War II veteran named Howard Unruh began a methodical and deadly walk through his community, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake. In the span of just twelve minutes, he would end the lives of thirteen people, one of whom was a young boy named Thomas Hamilton.
Thomas, a male of only two years of age, was inside an apartment at 3208
River Road when Unruh, armed with a 9-millimeter Luger pistol, fired into the front window. The young child was tragically killed by the gunfire. His death was a random and senseless act in a string of murders that stunned the nation and was dubbed the 'Walk of Death' by the press at the time. Unruh's rampage that day is considered by many to be the first mass shooting in the United States.
Howard Unruh's violent spree began earlier that morning when he left his home and proceeded to target various businesses and individuals along River Road. Before killing young Thomas, he had already shot and killed a shoemaker and a barber, as well as a six-year-old boy who was getting a haircut. After firing into the apartment where Thomas was located, Unruh continued his assault, targeting a tailor shop and other residents.
The wave of terror ended when Unruh was apprehended by police. He was not sentenced to prison but was instead confined to the Trenton State Hospital, where he remained for the next six decades. His actions left a permanent scar on the community of Camden and the families of his victims, including the family of young Thomas Hamilton, whose life was cut short in a shocking act of violence.
