No Change in Bail for Camden Man Charged in Westville Shooting

The $750,000 bail for Neil Reynolds, 24, of Camden remained unchanged at a bail hearing today after a judge cited violent crime on his juvenile record and said his attempted murder charge in a June shooting in Westville gives him “every reason to flee.”

“This bail is more than appropriate,” said Superior Court Judge Kevin T. Smith. 
“I’ll make no changes to it.”

Reynolds and Darnell Cummings, 26, of Pine Hill, were arrested in Camden shortly after the shooting at the Westwood Apartments in Westville.

The victim, 25-year-old Christopher Buchanan, sustained a gunshot wound to the chest and was admitted to Cooper Medical Center in Camden, where he is still a patient.

At the bail hearing, Reynolds’ lawyer said his bail was “a little bit high” for someone who had no indictable offenses as an adult and has lived at the same address all his life.

Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Joseph Brook said the offense “without question was attempted murder” since the gun was fired at the victim’s chest while Cummings and the victim struggled on the ground outside the apartment complex.

Cummings was acquainted with a woman who was at the  apartments with Buchanan.

Judge Smith noted that the bail guideline for attempted murder is $250,000 to 
$1 million. He also pointed out that among Reynolds’ five juvenile delinquency 
adjudications was one for aggravated assault with bodily injury.

Reynolds “is no stranger to the court,” he said.