3 Arrested in Camden Shooting that Hit School Bus

Three Camden men who police say indiscriminately fired an AK-47-style rifle in a drug dispute and hit a school bus last month were arrested Friday morning.

Brothers Sinclair, 24, and Dupree Reynolds, 22, and Frank Benson, 20, were caught after a six-week investigation involving the Camden County Police Department, the FBI, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Camden County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Marshals, authorities said.

The three men were on the 1800 block of Philips Street around 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 when they fired 14 rounds across the crowded Elijah Perry Park toward the Branch Village homes, police said, hitting a school bus that was head down South 9th Street at the time.

Kids from a day care program, most between the ages of 3 and 5, were aboard the bus, and though none of the rounds hit any of the kids, one child was treated for a burn from a shard of glass or metal, police said.

Police said the shooting was drug-related, but indicated the motive was still under investigation.

All three men, who are in jail on $750,000 cash or bond bail each, were charged with criminal attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, aggravated assault, aggravated assault by pointing a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of an assault weapon.

Benson was additionally charged with hindering apprehension.

“Camden is safer today with these three violent felons in custody,” said Chief J. Scott Thomson. “We made a promise on that day that we were not going to rest until we brought these suspects to justice. Today is that day.”