By: Richard L. Smith
In a solemn conclusion to a tragic chapter, a 24-year-old man from Bensalem, Pennsylvania, has been convicted of murder and weapons charges for a fatal shooting that took place at a gas station in Willingboro Township during the summer of 2021.
Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw confirmed the verdict late last week.
The jury, after approximately eight hours of deliberation over two days, found Mr. Tamir Phillips guilty of Murder in the First Degree, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in the Second Degree.
The Hon. Gerard H. Breland, J.S.C., has scheduled the sentencing for January 5, 2024.
The tragic incident that led to this conviction unfolded on the afternoon of August 21, 2021, at the Phillips 66 gas station located in the first block of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Willingboro Township. Local police officers responded to a report of a shooting at the gas station.
Upon their arrival, officers learned that the victim, 14-year-old Jesse Everett of Willingboro, had been transported to Virtua Willingboro Hospital in a private vehicle.
Subsequently, he was airlifted to Cooper University Medical Center in Camden. Tragically, Jesse Everett was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.
Almost immediately, Tamir Phillips, who was known to reside in Willingboro, was identified as a suspect in the shooting.
Charges were swiftly filed against him the very next day.
The investigation into this heart-wrenching incident unveiled a series of events leading up to the shooting.
A day prior to the tragic incident, the owner of a 2014 Honda Civic had reported the vehicle stolen to township police.
It was discovered that the Civic's owner had frequently allowed Phillips to use the car.
Further investigation revealed that just moments before the shooting occurred, Phillips was riding in another vehicle when the stolen car was spotted at the gas pumps of the Phillips 66 station.
The driver of the vehicle pulled into the gas station and positioned the car behind the Civic, which was being driven by Jesse Everett.
Tamir Phillips exited his vehicle and approached the driver's side of the Civic, where he confronted Jesse Everett.
In a heartbreaking turn of events, Phillips fired a single shot into the vehicle, striking Jesse Everett in the head.
There were two other individuals inside the car with Jesse Everett, who fortunately did not sustain any injuries.
This verdict marks the end of a painful legal process for the families involved while offering some semblance of closure to a community deeply affected by the tragic loss of Jesse Everett.