Philadelphia police on Thursday announced murder charges for a man in this week's Roxborough apartment shooting that left Cheltenham High School senior Elijah Deloach, of Elkins Park, dead.
Deloach -- two weeks away from graduation -- went to the Henry on the Park apartments off the 7900 block of Henry Avenue late on Tuesday, May 22, 2024, to intervene in an alleged domestic assault, police said.
Alleged domestic assault leads to teen's murder, police say
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Police Homicide Unit Staff Inspector Ernest Ransom discussed Deloach's killing and an unrelated double stabbing of two women in Northeast Philadelphia Thursday morning. Ransom announced murder charges against Kione Gary.
Gary was charged Wednesday with murder, weapons charges, simple assault, aggravated assault and related counts and held without bail, according to court records.
Police officers initially found Gary outside the apartments when they arrived around 10 p.m. Tuesday, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.
The 23-year-old cooperated with police, Small said.
"He was involved in a shooting inside of a 4th-floor apartment," Small said.
As police investigated the scene, they learned that an 18-year-old had shown up at nearby Roxborough hospital with a gunshot wound to his chest, Small said. That young man -- later identified as Deloach -- died shortly after midnight.
"We believe the motive is a domestic argument between the 23-year-old alleged shooter and his... girlfriend," Small said.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
The couple lives inside the apartment, Small said. During the argument, family members of the woman and some friends arrived to intervene in the fight.
On Thursday, Ransom said that Gary's girlfriend called her mother to alert her that she was being assaulted. The mom then called the woman's two sisters who arrived at the apartment with DeLoach and another man.
Gary told police that he was home in his apartment with his girlfriend when two of her sisters and two males he didn't know entered the apartment and "approached him in a threatening manner," Ransom said. Gary had a license to carry his gun.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Police found evidence of that single shot being fired in the living room of the apartment, investigators said.
"It appears that shortly after the decedent entered the residence a shot was fired by Mr. Gary, striking Mr. Deloach in the chest," Ransom said.
Ransom said there was no indication that either Deloach or the other guy were armed and no indication that Deloach or the other male assaulted Gary.
Suspect jumps from apartment after shooting, police say
After the shooting, Gary left the apartment from the balcony.
"For some reason, the 23-year-old who we believe fired the shot, jumped out of the 4th-floor," Small said. "He was not injured, he remained on scene, did cooperate with police."
Investigators later found evidence suggesting that "Gary was involved in a domestic altercation with his girlfriend" that escalated physically, Ransom said.
After conferring with the district attorney's office, Gary was charged with murder, Ransom said.
Court records don't list an attorney who could comment on Gary's behalf.
Elijah DeLoach was a Montgomery County high school student with 'dynamic sense of humor'
Deloach was a student at Cheltenham High School set to graduate this spring, the Cheltenham School District said.
"I am heartbroken to share that one of our 12th grade students, Elijah DeLoach, passed away last night," Cheltenham principal Jimmy D'Andrea wrote in a May 22, 2024, letter to "Cheltenham High School Families." "Elijah attended Myers Elementary School, Elkins Park School, Cedarbrook Middle School, and Cheltenham High School, and he was scheduled to receive his diploma two weeks from today at our graduation ceremony.
"While serving as principal for the past two years, I had the privilege to get to know Elijah through our daily interactions. He had a quiet and reserved personality, but his dynamic sense of humor came through when you got to know him. He was incredibly excited about finishing high school, and he had big plans for the future."
The school is offering counseling services for students and staff. The school also shared resources from the National Association of School Psychologists to help children cope with grief and loss.
"Our thoughts are with Elijah’s family at this time, and I know you join me in extending our deepest sympathies to his family and friends," D'Andrea wrote.
Entering Thursday, 101 homicides have been reported so far this year in Philadelphia, according to police data. That's down about 37% from the same date last year and the lowest year-to-date total since 2016.
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