Burlington County Man Was Fatally Shot During Fight Between Groups

A Burlington County man who was fatally shot in Florence in September was killed after a group of people went to Beverly City and began fighting with some local residents, authorities said this week. One person has been arrested in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Ronald Walker, of Florence, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Florence Township Police Chief John A. Bunce said on Tuesday. Anthony Harris, 31, of Beverly City, was arrested on Tuesday.

Harris was charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter, second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree certain persons not to have weapons.

He was arrested in an apartment on West Trenton Avenue in Falls Township, Pa., as part of an initiative targeting violent criminals with outstanding warrants, according to authorities. He was arrested by officers from the Burlington County Sheriff’s Department Warrant Unit, the Florence Township Police Department, the New Jersey State Police, the Pemberton Township Police Department, the United States Marshals Service New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Willingboro Police Department. Assistance was provided by the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department.

Harris was processed by the Falls Township Police Department on a Fugitive From Justice warrant and taken to the Bucks County Jail in Doylestown Township, PA, where he was lodged on $500,000 bail.
Burlington County Assistant Prosecutor Bob VanGilst, who is prosecuting the case, will begin the extradition process to have Harris returned to Burlington County.

Police say Harris shot Walker on Sept. 21, 2016, when his group went to Zinc Street in Florence. Zinc Street is an alley that runs between Second and Third streets.

Walker was taken to Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, where he was pronounced dead at 8:21 p.m. that night. An autopsy performed by Burlington County Medical Examiner Dr. Ian Hood determined that Walker died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

The case was investigated by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Florence Township Police Department. The lead investigators were BCPO Major Crimes Unit Det. Nick Villano and Florence Police Det. Chris Powell.

The attached image of Anthony Harris was provided by the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office