Mwanza Atiba Kamau, born Darnell Collins on April 5, 1962, in New York City, grew up under difficult circumstances that would shape his troubled life. His father was killed during the Vietnam War, leaving him to be raised by his mother in Atlantic City, New Jersey. His early life was marked by behavioral problems and escalating encounters with law enforcement. At just nine years old, Collins was sent to a juvenile detention center for a series of offenses, including assault, shoplifting, larceny, and attempted arson. He spent intermittent periods in juvenile custody throughout his adolescence, including a return in 1975 following another assault conviction.

As an adult, Collins’ criminal behavior intensified. In 1984, he was arrested in New Jersey for a string of six crimes that included armed robbery and burglary. These charges resulted in a 20-year prison sentence, of which he served 10 years before being paroled on January 11, 1994. His time in prison did little to rehabilitate him, and soon after release, he violated the terms of his parole by testing positive for drugs. Despite this violation, authorities chose not to prosecute.

Collins’ personal life was equally unstable. After his release, he began a relationship with April Gates, a blackjack dealer at the Golden Nugget Casino in Atlantic City. The relationship deteriorated over time, marked by volatility and frequent disputes. By January 1995, the couple had separated, but Collins’ resentment toward Gates would soon evolve into a deadly obsession. When Gates reported Collins to authorities for parole violations, he grew enraged. A restraining order was issued against him on June 15, 1995, barring him from contacting her. 

The spree began on June 17, 1995, when Collins, armed with a .22-caliber revolver, went to April Gates’ home in Atlantic City. Finding only her mother, 51-year-old Shirley Gates, at home, he tied her up and shot her twice in the head, killing her instantly. Collins then placed her body in the trunk of his car and drove three blocks to a nearby house, where April Gates was attending a birthday party. He entered the residence and approached Gates, shooting her once in the ear and twice in the stomach before shouting, “Why’d you tell!?” She died at the scene.

Collins’ rampage continued into the following day. On June 18, he broke into a motel room occupied by 41-year-old William Dawson and 27-year-old Stacey Smith, along with Smith’s 4-year-old son. Collins fatally shot Dawson in the chest and shot Smith in the neck, though she survived. Later that day, he robbed a gas station in Haddon Township, pistol-whipping the attendant and stealing $854.

Crossing state lines, Collins traveled to New York. On June 19, he approached 38-year-old Jose Gabriel Escarpetta in a parking lot and demanded money. When Escarpetta refused, Collins shot him three times, killing him. Shortly afterward, he entered a nearby building and fatally shot 26-year-old Jeffrey Roork and 54-year-old David Roth in the head inside an elevator. Later that day, Collins shot Norma Acosta in the head on East 126th Street in Harlem; she survived. He then attempted to rob two church officials, Rev. Robert Gethers and Deacon Joseph Johnson, but spared them after Gethers handed him $350. Collins fled the scene in their vehicle.

The killing spree reached its final act on June 21, 1995, when Collins shot and killed Emmanuel Malan, a taxi driver who had given him a ride. Hours later, a police patrol in Newark, New Jersey, coincidentally spotted Collins while responding to a separate call. A 20-minute high-speed chase ensued, during which Collins exchanged gunfire with police. He eventually crashed his vehicle in Clifton, New Jersey, and fled on foot, taking cover behind a half-wall while shooting at officers. Collins then ran toward a riverside, lay on his back in shallow water, reloaded his gun, and continued firing. The shootout ended when police shot Collins 14 times, killing him.

The spree left seven people dead and three others wounded across two states. The aftermath of the case led to significant scrutiny of New Jersey’s parole system. Investigators revealed that Collins’ parole officer, John Goodman, had failed to act on multiple parole violations. A subsequent administrative hearing concluded that Goodman had neglected his duties, and he was dismissed from his position in January 1996.