Murder in the Neighborhood: The true story of America’s first recorded mass shooting

THE TRUE STORY OF AMERICA’S FIRST RECORDED MASS SHOOTINGPROLOGUEThat September morning started much like any other. Camden,New Jersey, the sparkling little sister of Philadelphia, connectedby the high arches of the Delaware River Bridge, was wakingup to heat nearing the mid-seventies—by nine o’clock thehumidity was sitting high above the city, waiting to descend.Cramer Hill, a small section of Camden, bound by theDelaware River to the west, the Pavonia Train Yard to the east,State Street to the south and 36th Street to the north—a gridof streets twenty-four blocks long, and about five or six blockswide contained within—was about to draw the focus of theworld but nobody knew it, not that morning at nine o’clock.River Road cut a swath through Cramer Hill where open-baytrucks rumbled through all day long, overloaded with tomatoesheaded for the Campbell’s soup factory a few miles away. Theclearly visible cargo was only held in place by wire mesh cagingalong the sides. The loud engine sounds called to children toget out of the street, to stand and watch, waiting for a tomatoto break loose and fall into their small hands. They were oftenrewarded when a bump in the road threw a few of thegreenish-red fruits into the street.