A 6-year-old girl was struck by gunfire in Camden on the Fourth of July

A 6-year-old girl was shot on July Fourth in Camden.

The shooting, which originated between two groups of teenagers, occurred just after 10 p.m. Tuesday on Martin Luther King Boulevard, according to police, about a block from Wiggins Park on Camden’s waterfront, as fireworks lit up the sky for the annual Freedom Festival.

Two groups of teenagers got into an argument. One pulled a gun, said police, shooting the 6-year-old girl in the left knee. The girl, who police said was visiting from out of town, was taken to Cooper Medical Center, where she was being treated for “non-life threatening injuries,” according to police, who did not release the girl’s name.

“This is going to be a traumatic situation that she has to live with for the rest of her life,” said Camden County Deputy Police Chief Janell Simpson during a news conference Wednesday.

A suspect was taken into custody Tuesday and later released pending an investigation. A gun was recovered near the scene, but it was unclear whether that gun was used in the shooting or belonged to the suspect.

Simpson said three other people were injured while fleeing the scene and were being treated at Cooper Medical Center, but would not provide more information.

Louis Cappelli Jr., director of the Camden County Board of Commissioners, described the suspect as a teenager “with ties to Philadelphia,” before offering some choice words for residents of the city across the Delaware River.

“To the thugs and criminals and gun-bearing freaks over in Philadelphia, who live in a city of lawlessness: We don’t want you here,” said Cappelli. “Stay out of Camden.”

Cappelli, who said he was on the waterfront about the time of the shooting, called the response from July Fourth revelers “orderly” as people “briskly walked” to their cars following reports of gunfire.

“There was no panic,” said Cappelli.

Bystanders described a different scene to KYW. One man recalled people manically grabbing children and their loved ones before running.

About 20,000 people were on the Camden waterfront for a concert headlined by reggae band UB40. Mayor Victor Carstarphen said the celebrations had “never seen an incident of this nature” in their 30-year history.

Violent crime has fallen dramatically in Camden after its peak in 2012, with shooting deaths remaining relatively flat during 2021 and 2022. Law enforcement has touted New Jersey’s strict gun laws as partially response for the decline in shootings, as well as a series of police changes aimed at building trust with community members. Around 80% of guns recovered in Camden originate from out of state, according to the Camden County Police Department.

“The riverfront is a safe place,” said Carstarphen. “We’ve worked hard on rebuilding trust and confidence in Camden for our residents and families.”