Young father shot dead in Camden after returning from shore

CAMDEN, N.J. -- A return trip from the shore turned deadly for one young father. Now his family is asking for your help.

Susan Vanatta remembers her son, Zachary Gaunt, with a smile on her face.

"Very animated kid a lot of life, had a lot of friends growing up, long career football, basketball," Vanatta said.

The weekend of June 10, 2017, Gaunt joined his grandmother and 6-year-old son on a trip to Cape May.

Vanatta says the trio returned on Sunday, June 11 with no problems.

"He was going back to the house with my mother for dinner," added Vanatta.

But Vanatta says Gaunt somehow ran into trouble early Monday morning June 12.

Just before 7 a.m., police were called to the 300 hundred block of Royden Street in Camden for reports of a deceased male.

When they arrived they found Gaunt suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Vanatta said, "The whole situation to me seems really senseless. Wrong place, wrong time, I don't care who you are no human being deserves to die like that."

The Citizens Crime Commission is administering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible,

All you have to do is call 215-546-TIPS.

All calls remain anonymous.

"Do what's right, come forward say what you need to say. We all know that can be difficult but the right thing isn't always easy," said Vanatta.

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