SOUTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. – A man wanted for the robbery of a Brooklyn bishop was killed in a shootout with federal law enforcement at a New Jersey motel. Shamar Leggette, 41, was wanted for his role in the high-profile robbery of Bishop Lamor Whitehead during a service at the Tomorrow International Ministry in Canarsie.
The July 24, 2022, robbery garnered widespread news coverage as it was captured on a livestream of the service and involved the theft of more than $1 million in jewelry from Whitehead and his wife. While the other two men involved in the robbery were apprehended weeks later, Leggette had been on the run for the past 18 months with his girlfriend, referring to themselves as “Bonnie and Clyde.”
The shootout occurred at MHO Inn and Suites on Route 1 South in Monmouth Junction, South Brunswick. Though the state attorney general’s office did not identify Leggette as the man killed, law enforcement sources confirmed it was him. Members of the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, including the U.S. Marshals and ATF, were executing a felony arrest warrant at the motel when Leggette came out shooting, resulting in his death.
No officers were injured during the shootout, but Leggette’s girlfriend was arrested at the scene. Whitehead, despite being the victim of the robbery, expressed forgiveness and a willingness to help Leggette’s family. He offered to eulogize Leggette at his upcoming funeral for free, emphasizing that he holds no ill will toward the deceased despite the traumatic experience he and his wife endured.
Meanwhile, Whitehead himself is under federal investigation after being indicted for wire fraud and extortion in December 2022. If convicted on all counts, he faces decades in prison. Despite the ongoing investigation, Whitehead’s response to the death of Leggette is one of forgiveness and a desire for reconciliation with the deceased’s family.