Atlantic City, New Jersey – Two women were found shot in the head on the beach outside a resort hotel. For the alleged crime, police arrested three Black men who stole a car and fled to Philadelphia.
According to reports, 32-year-old Carley Elbert and 29-year-old Kamille Stewart were identified as victims in the attack. Elbert—who is White—was pronounced dead at the scene.
The two women were found on a jetty outside the Flagship Boardwalk at 4 am on Thursday, with Stewart narrowly surviving the incident. Elbert, an aspiring actress and singer who had just entered remission for a serious illness, had been wearing only a bathing suit at the time of her death.
Reports state that Elbert and Stewart were among a group of five who exited a vehicle around 2 a.m. to walk along the Atlantic City boardwalk. Approximately 20 minutes later, surveillance camera footage showed two male members of the group returning to the car, where it promptly drove away.
Police assert that the suspects were 34-year-old Gregg Page, 30-year-old Ryan Schenck, and 27-year-old Ramir Schenck, all of whom are Black. Page—alleged to be the triggerman—stole a car belonging to one of the victims in order to escape. He would later abandon the car and be picked up by the two Schenck brothers, where they fled to Philadelphia, officials say.
Police were able to arrest all three Black men in just one day. Thanks to cell phone tracking software installed on Elbert’s phone, her mother was able to ping the location of the device to the suspect’s hideout. Multiple law enforcement agencies were then able to bring all three into custody, along with members of the FBI.
For the shooting of Elbert and Stewart, Gregg Page is facing charges of murder, attempted murder, and weapons offenses, the Atlantic County prosecutor’s office said. Meanwhile, the Schenck brothers face charges of hindering apprehension.
All three are currently being held in Philadelphia as they await extradition to New Jersey.
“I really need to know what happened to my daughter. Why she was killed point-blank, shot in the head and killed. Why?” said Nancy Elbert in an interview with Fox 29.
“I hope (the perpetrators) rot in hell. I’ll see this to the end for justice for my Carley. She didn’t deserve to go out like this,” she continued.
According to those who knew her, the late Carley Elbert was a passionate young woman who had lived a life of hardship, often undergoing surgeries or being hospitalized amid a lifelong battle with Mast Cell disease.
A GoFundMe set up to support Nancy Elbert, Carlie’s mother, explained that she had finally become healthy enough to live on her own after years of debilitating illness, only for her to be tragically taken away thanks to an act of Black violence.
“She was finally feeling healthy and strong enough to get out there and do things on her own for herself and her life was senselessly taken,” read the GoFundMe. “Carley did anything she could to bring family together. She had a silly quirky sense of humor and all she cared about was family around her & keeping her Mother happy, healthy, safe.”
“No young life should be ended this soon and taken in such a senseless tragic way. Carley did not deserve this,” it continued.
Atlantic City, a place known for its casinos, nightlife, and lavish getaways by the sea, is no stranger to the crippling effects of Black crime. In January of this year, officials had already begun sounding the alarm over a troubling rise in murders and other violent crimes.
Ten days into 2024, the minority-majority city had reportedly experienced the murder of a 14-year-old, with Atlantic City Mayor Marty Smalls, Sr., blaming parents and individual households.
“The finger shouldn’t be pointed at anyone, shouldn’t be pointed at the mayor, shouldn’t be pointed at the police chief, shouldn’t be pointed at (the city’s) anti-violence (team), shouldn’t be pointed at reentry services,” he said. “We are not out there shooting guns. We aren’t out the putting the battery in these kids’ backs and telling them what to do. We don’t have anything to do with any of that.”
“As I say all the time, the government does not raise your kids,” Small continued.
According to the latest estimates by the US Census Report, Atlantic City’s racial makeup is 22.4% White alone, down from 26.68% in the year 2000. Black and Hispanic residents currently make up the largest demographic block, standing at 30.4% and 33.4%, respectively.
The demographics of “Monopoly City” have ensured that 1 in 59 could become a victim of violent crime and 1 in 15 could become a victim of property crime, according to a SecurityGauge report by the data aggregator Neighborhood Scout.
“You have your good and your bad parts. This is relatively a good area to walk, to ride your bike, to fish, and be outside,” commented Darin Vinson, a resident of Atlantic City, to 6 ABC after the shooting.
The death of Carley Elbert serves as just the latest example of a young White woman being killed in a racially disharmonious American empire.
In July, a beloved tour guide who worked the famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans was shot and killed while sitting in her car. For the crime, police arrested three Black teens, which included one illegal immigrant from Honduras.
In June, a Salvadoran illegal was arrested for the 2023 rape and murder of 37-year-old Rachel H. Morin, a White mother of five, on a Maryland nature trail. In that case, law enforcement performed DNA tests on the suspect’s family in Central America to make an arrest nearly one year later.
The article originally appeared on the Justice Report and is republished by The Noticer with permission.
