MONMOUTH JUNCTION, New Jersey — U.S. Marshals fatally shot a suspect on Wednesday afternoon while attempting to arrest him in connection to a robbery on Atwells Avenue in 2023. The suspect, identified as 41-year-old Shamar Leggette, was wanted for the robbery of Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead, who was robbed of $1 million in jewelry during a livestreamed sermon in July 2022.

Previously, two men had been arrested in connection to the robbery, but Leggette remained at large until the fatal confrontation with law enforcement. The U.S. Marshals located Leggette inside the MHO Inn and Suites on US-1 in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, where he fired at the deputy marshals, prompting them to return fire and ultimately killing him.

The New Jersey State Attorney General’s Office is now investigating the incident. Authorities revealed that Leggette was also the alleged perpetrator of a robbery on the 300 block of Atwells Avenue in Rhode Island last August, where he shot and robbed a man sitting inside his car, making off with over $50,000 worth of jewelry and a Rolex watch.

Police Chief Oscar Perez confirmed the active warrant for Leggette and indicated that he was also being investigated for similar incidents in the city of Providence.

Leggette’s demise has brought a sense of relief to the community as it marks the end of a search for a suspect involved in a violent crime. The investigation into the fatal confrontation remains ongoing, as authorities work to piece together the events leading up to the shooting.