MAYS LANDING, NJ – Azair Wilson, 19, of Atlantic City, was sentenced on Tuesday to 12 years in New Jersey State Prison for the 2023 fatal shooting of 18-year-old Tamaj Bennett, also of Atlantic City. The sentencing, handed down by the Honorable Jorge Coombs, J.S.C., requires Wilson to serve 85% of his term before becoming eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act (NERA).

Wilson had initially agreed to an 18-year sentence as part of a plea deal, but the court deviated from the agreement, opting for a lesser term. Despite this, prosecutors argued for the previously negotiated 18-year term during sentencing. Upon release, Wilson will remain under parole supervision for five years.

The shooting occurred on June 18, 2023—Father’s Day—when Atlantic City police responded to reports of gunfire near 1400 Atlantic Avenue. Officers discovered Bennett suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, which he later succumbed to. Surveillance footage captured Wilson firing at Bennett outside and inside a convenience store at 1406 Atlantic Avenue, continuing to shoot as Bennett fled into the store.

Wilson fled New Jersey following the incident and was later apprehended in College Park, Georgia, by local officers before being extradited back to New Jersey. Prosecutors noted that Bennett was shot approximately 13 times during the attack.

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