N.J. man badly hurt in attack before Jimmy Buffett show

A 20-year-old Bellmawr man was in critical condition at Cooper University Hospital in Camden on Wednesday after he was assaulted before a Jimmy Buffett concert Tuesday in a parking lot at the Susquehanna Bank Center, authorities said.

Authorities did not release the victim's name, but a law enforcement source identified him as Ryan Coyle.

He was in the lot with friends when an acquaintance approached him from behind and punched him around 7:30 p.m., the Camden County Prosecutor's Office and city police said. The victim's head hit the pavement.

The suspect, Matthew Shields, 21, of Westville, turned himself in and was being held Wednesday in the Camden County Jail with bail set at $50,000 on a charge of aggravated assault. Authorities did not identify a motive.

Reached by phone Wednesday, a family member said Coyle's mother was at the hospital and declined to comment further.

Between 80 and 90 Camden officers provided security at the Buffett concert, with some arriving as early as 7 a.m., according to the law enforcement source.

Camden authorities did not respond to a request for information on whether there were other arrests at the concert.

In June, city police arrested 191 people and emergency medical technicians treated 193 for injuries or illnesses at the WXTU-FM 28th Anniversary Concert, a full-day affair at the center that attracted 25,000 fans to hear a lineup headlined by Miranda Lambert. Ten people were also taken to hospitals.

Authorities ask anyone with information on Tuesday's assault to contact Camden Police Detective Kevin Lutz at 856-655-4750.