CAMDEN, N.J. — Just as dawn broke on Thursday, November 6, the close-knit streets of the 1200 block of Chase Street were shaken by gunfire — and by the loss of a promising young man whose light seemed far too bright to go out so soon. At 6:41 a.m., officers from the Camden County Police Department responded to reports of a ShotSpotter activation and upon arrival found 26-year-old Premire Wilson unresponsive on a porch of a residence.
Paramedics rushed him to nearby Cooper University Hospital, but despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead at 7:25 a.m. — a heartbreak no one expected and one a community is struggling to process.
Wilson wasn’t just another victim of violence; he had been the quarterback for the Camden High School “Patriots” in his senior year — a role he stepped into despite never playing QB before, and one he made his own on both legs and his arm. Friends say he had a ready smile, a helping hand, and a presence that lit up a room. That spirit now lives on in memory, even as his family and neighborhood wrestle with shock and sorrow.
Investigators with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Unit say they are working tirelessly — reviewing surveillance footage, talking to witnesses, and combing the scene for clues — but at this point no arrests have been made and the motive remains unknown.
As word of Wilson’s death spread, neighbors placed candles, photos, flowers, and heartfelt notes on the porch where he was found — turning a once-quiet block into a vigil site, a place of mourning and determination. Residents of Camden are calling for greater safety, deeper community unity, and answers that right now are elusive.
The Prosecutor’s Office extended its condolences to Wilson’s family and emphasized that even the smallest tip could be vital. For anyone who may have seen or heard something, detectives Joseph Fogg at (856) 225-5063 or Matthew Blantz at (609) 923-6853 are standing by. Anonymous tips may be submitted through the Camden County TIP tool.
Today the city mourns a life filled with potential — a young man whose journey seemed just beginning, now paused suddenly. But in the stories friends tell, in the high-school games he played, in the smiles he shared, Wilson’s memory remains. He may be gone, but he is not forgotten.
