Lamar Abdul Thompson

Lamar Abdul Thompson, a 27-year-old Black man from Camden, New Jersey, was an entrepreneur and a devoted father to his two children. Known to some by his nickname "2 Mar Mar," he was remembered by his family as an optimistic person who "loved to be different." His life, filled with promise and love for his kids, was violently ended on a late summer evening in 2017.

The night of Saturday, September 2, 2017, was shattered by the sound of gunfire around 9:40 p.m. behind a Gulf gas station at the intersection of Kaighn and Mount Ephraim avenues in Camden. A Camden County Police Department officer on patrol in the area heard the shots and immediately responded. Upon arriving, he discovered a 26-year-old man who had suffered a graze wound to his head. The officer transported the injured man directly to Cooper University Hospital for medical attention. As other officers arrived at the scene, alerted by a ShotSpotter activation, they found Lamar Abdul Thompson lying on the ground. He had been shot multiple times. Lamar was also rushed to Cooper University Hospital, but his injuries were too severe. He was pronounced dead at 10:22 p.m.

The investigation into the double shooting was launched immediately by the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office and the Camden County Police Department. Detectives reviewed surveillance camera footage from the gas station, which captured a male suspect, later identified as 24-year-old Victor Ruiz Jr., arriving at the station in a blue Chrysler. The footage showed Ruiz, wearing a distinctive white shirt with red artwork, interacting with another man before they both walked to the back of the gas station, out of the camera's view. Moments later, the footage showed the other man and the car's driver running from the area, while Ruiz walked back and appeared to tuck an object into his waistband before getting into the Chrysler and leaving.

This evidence quickly led investigators to Ruiz's home on the 1000 block of Kaighn Avenue, not far from the scene of the crime. In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 3, police established a perimeter around the residence. A lengthy standoff ensued, continuing overnight until officers entered the home and arrested Ruiz without incident.

Following his capture, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office charged Victor Ruiz Jr. with first-degree murder for the death of Lamar Thompson and first-degree attempted murder for the wounding of the second victim. He also faced charges of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Ruiz was subsequently held at the Camden County Correctional Facility pending a pretrial detention hearing. Lamar's death marked the 17th homicide in the city of Camden that year, a significant decrease from the 31 violent deaths recorded by the same time in the previous year.

The case against Victor Ruiz Jr. moved through the New Jersey court system. In 2019, a jury found him guilty of murder, attempted murder, and related weapons offenses for his role in the fatal shooting. He was subsequently sentenced to serve 55 years in state prison for the murder of Lamar Thompson. According to the terms of his sentence, Ruiz must serve a minimum of 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole.

As of his conviction, the case is considered closed by law enforcement. The investigation relied on police work and evidence gathered at the scene to bring the person responsible for Lamar Thompson's death to justice. While no public vigils or memorials were widely reported, an online memorial page shows that over 100 candles have been lit in Lamar's memory, with one tribute reading, "Your kids love you and will never forget....I hate that you never got to shine."