What to Know
- Two Camden County police detectives survived an ambush shooting at a traffic light in Camden, New Jersey Tuesday night.
- Police say a gunman went up to the detectives, who were in plainclothes and an unmarked vehicle, and opened fire.
- Both detectives are expected to survive. Police are searching for at least one suspect in a white van with a Pennsylvania license plate.
Two Camden County, New Jersey, police detectives are recovering after gunmen ambushed them Tuesday night, authorities said.
The undercover officers were dressed in plain clothes and sitting inside an unmarked vehicle at a red light on Mount Vernon Street and Broadway in Camden around 8:30 p.m. As they were waiting, two gunmen approached them and fired between 10 and 25 rounds, according to officials.
Both officers were hit by gunfire, but it remains unclear where on their bodies they were shot.
During the ordeal, one of the officers fired back and the suspects fled the scene. Investigators have not yet confirmed whether the suspects were shot.
"There was at least 13," a woman, who did not want to be identified, told NBC10. "I thought it was fireworks. When I peeped out and I saw the cops jumping out of the car trying to reload the gun again and then that's when they ran into another car and went to the hospital."
The officers were taken to Cooper University Hospital, where they are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. They are both expected to survive and are surrounded by relatives, officials said.
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Camden police originally said they were searching for at least one suspect, but on Wednesday revealed they were looking for two. Philadelphia police are aiding in the investigation and said the suspects are in a white van with bullet holes on the driver's side.
The van has the Pennsylvania license plate KKJ2047 and is registered as a 2006 Ford in Hatboro, police said. Investigators also said the van may be occupied by two men wearing dark shirts and blue jeans.
Officials released surveillance photos of two persons of interest in the shooting Wednesday night.
The shooting occurred the same night as National Night Out, a nationwide event in which communities across the country join local police departments in an effort to build better relationships.
Four National Night Out events were taking place in Camden at the time of the shooting, two of which occurred less than two miles away.
"Unfortunately, on a night when we were supposed to be celebrating safety, two of our detectives were engaged as victims," Camden County Police Chief Scott Thomson said. "I can tell you every cop in this land would say we'd rather have it us than the citizenry. But it's an unfortunate event."
If you have any information on the shooting, please call the Camden County Prosecutor's Office at 609-820-7192, Philadelphia police or Camden County police.
