19-year-old Taniyah Bell was shot and killed inside her apartment last week while she was pregnant. Her boyfriend has been charged with murder. Lansdowne Police say officers were called to the couple’s apartment when Bell was found lying in bed with a gunshot wound to the head. Bell died at the hospital and her baby is now on life support.
The Lansdowne Police Department, in conjunction with the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office have arrested a man for the murder of a pregnant woman inside a Lansdowne apartment complex on Thursday, Nov. 18.
On the evening of Friday, November 15, 2024, 19-year-old Kaiheem Jerelle Williams was charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, who was approximately eight months pregnant, according to the Lansdowne Police Department.
An investigation revealed the couple lived together and were in a relationship.
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The shooting occurred on Thursday, Nov. 14, around 7:30 p.m. on the 200 block of N. Wycombe Ave.
According to the affidavit, when police arrived at the scene, Williams answered the door and said, "my baby's shot" and ran back into the apartment.
The pregnant woman, identified as 19-year-old Taniyah Bell, was found lying on the bed suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.
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Bell was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, but her unborn child was delivered and placed in critical condition.
Responding officers asked Williams where the gun was, to which he stated he had a gun, but that Bell had had it. He told officers that he was "fried" from smoking and "blacked out," his next memory was calling 911 from Bell's phone because she was shot, according to the affidavit.
Williams denied removing the firearm from the scene and police did not recover a firearm, only a bullet found inside Williams's pocket.
"The arrest of Kaiheem Williams is a testament to the relentless determination of our officers and the CID Detectives. Their hard work has brought us one step closer to justice for the victim and her family," Chief Ken Rutherford, Lansdowne police, said.
The baby remains in the hospital "on life support with minimal neurological brain activity" and the condition is "irreversible," the affidavit stated.
Bell's family have started a GoFundMe for her mother Tylicia Bell.
"This loss is indescribable, and Tylicia is now grappling with the overwhelming task of burying her daughter while also caring for her granddaughter, who is in the hospital fighting for her life," the fundraiser said.
Bell's family is holding a vigil and balloon release for her on Saturday, November 23 at 4 p.m. at Academy Park Field in Sharon Hill.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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