That four-year-old boy was just walking down the sidewalk on a beautiful summer afternoon with his mother nearby, when he became Camden's 36th homicide victim.
20-year-old Donald Benjamin Lindsey was arrested at 5:00 this morning at a home in the 2000 block of Bonsall Street in South Philadelphia. He is charged with the murder of 4-year-old Brandon Thompson on the corner of Norris and Sheridan in Camden.
Camden County Prosecutor Warren Faulk says Lindsey rode a bike to the 1600 block of Norris around 520 yesterday afternoon, and that he was armed with a 9mm semi-automatic weapon. With an apparent altercation with someone living on the block, Faulk says a gun battle erupted, with at least two dozen shots fired.
One bullet struck the child in the head.
"It cannot be overstated that Brandon is a tragically innocent victim. Lindsey came into this neighborhood, armed with a deadly weapon, and a despicable disregard for the consequences of his actions," said Faulk.
Lindsey was arrested by U.S. Marshalls and is currently being held at Police Headquarters in Philadelphia. If he waves extradition he could be back in Camden as early as this afternoon - if not it could take much longer.
The prosecutor says they are looking for at least one other suspect and one other weapon. He says two weapons were found in a home on Norris Street. Witnesses led investigators to that home, but Faulk would not say who owned the home.
The prosecutor says the case was not drug related or gang related. But whatever the reason for this feud, it cost an innocent 4-year-old child his life.
