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Jamar Lovett, 28, was arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 10, a state police spokesperson said. Troopers responded to a shooting report at a home on Kings Highway in Dennis Township at around 5:28 a.m.
Investigators said the victim saw two suspects stealing a dirt bike and one male ran away when confronted. The victim reported being shot at when chasing after him.
The owner of Tamerlane Campground told the Daily Voice that he called state police at around 9 a.m. when he saw Lovett trespassing. Troopers responded to the campground off Route 9 in Cape May Court House and took Lovett into custody.
The other suspect wasn't captured and remains wanted.
State police used a helicopter and K-9 units in the search for the suspects, Dennis Township's government said. The township's school district first warned families about the active scene at around 7:36 a.m.
Buses weren't running and parents were asked to keep children indoors. The district then announced at 9:19 a.m. that classes would be canceled for the day "due to the continued threat in our area."
School superintendent Susan Speirs addressed the incident in a letter to families.
"As our high school buses were dropping off students at school, we received word of armed individuals at large in Dennis Township," wrote Speirs. "At this time, the P-8 (pre-kindergarten through eighth grade) buses had not yet left the schoolyard for pick up. As a result, the decision was made to keep P-8 students safe at home until the danger passed. A message was sent to all families letting them know buses would not be running and students should remain at home."
Some students had already been dropped off for the district's "Hawk's Nest" before-school program when the threat started.
"We stopped accepting more students and asked arriving Hawk’s Nest parents to take their children back home with them," Speirs wrote. "Parents of students already in the program were contacted and given the choice to pick up their children or leave them at school until a decision was made about the remaining school day. Hawks’ Nest students “sheltered in place” in a secure location with caring, competent staff, toys, and a bathroom."
The shelter-in-place issue had been lifted by around noon, troopers said.
"We are thankful Dennis Township families are safe," wrote Spiers. "We greatly appreciate our state police for working diligently to reduce the threat in our community and keep our schools out of danger."
Classes were held as usual on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
Lovett was charged with armed robbery, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, and conspiracy. He was also given increased charges for unlawful possession of a handgun and certain person not to have a weapon because he was previously convicted of a No Early Release Act offense.
According to state Department of Corrections records, Lovett was convicted of a December 2018 burglary in Cape May County and three weapons offenses from February 2019 in Cumberland County. He was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Lovett was admitted to state prison on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020. He was released on Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024.
After his Dennis Township arrest, Lovett was held in Cape May County Correctional Center to await a detention hearing.
Anyone with information about the case should call the New Jersey State Police Troop "A" station in Woodbine at 609-861-5698.
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