A Freehold Borough resident was sentenced to 20 years in a New Jersey state prison on July 14 for the 2013 shooting of two men in Asbury Park that left one man dead and another wounded, Monmouth County Acting Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.
Jamar Walker, 32, was sentenced to 20 years in state prison, subject to the provisions of the No Early Release Act requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole, by state Superior Court Judge Francis J. Vernoia, according to the prosecutor.
Walker pleaded guilty in April to aggravated manslaughter and aggravated assault. The sentence was handed down with family members of both victims present in court for the sentencing and victim impact statements, both written and oral, were presented to the court.
According to the prosecutor, Asbury Park police responded to reports of shots being fired in the 1400 block of Mattison Avenue, Asbury Park, at 7:22 p.m. April 18, 2013. Police arrived to find two victims lying in the street — Orlando Rowe, 30, of Bridgeport, Conn., and a 23-year-old male resident of Freehold Borough.
A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, the Asbury Park Police Department and the Freehold Borough Police Department revealed that Walker and the two victims met earlier in the day in Neptune Township before traveling to Asbury Park where a verbal dispute occurred while they were standing on the street.
During the argument, Walker drew a gun and shot the two victims repeatedly. Rowe died at a local hospital later that night. The other victim was transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery for his extensive injuries. Walker later turned himself in at the Freehold Borough Police Department.
“Senseless violence like this is only going to be met with long prison sentences. The citizens of Asbury Park deserve the peace of mind knowing law enforcement is not going to tolerate any type of violence. We will continue to push for these long sentences for violent offenders,” Gramiccioni said.