What to Know
- Philadelphia police issued an arrest warrant for 16-year-old Dayron Burney-Thorn in the Sept. 27, 2022 shooting outside Roxborough High School where several football players were injured. Police said he should be considered armed and dangerous.
- Authorities are searching for five additional suspects wanted in the case. Police said they have eight persons of interest as of Tuesday afternoon.
- Surveillance video shows several shooters opening fire after a football scrimmage. The shooting left 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde dead.
Philadelphia police have named a suspect in the shooting of several fellow teens outside of a Roxborough High School football scrimmage last week that left 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde dead.
On Tuesday, police tweeted a photo of 16-year-old Dayron Burney-Thorn and called him in a post to the department's website "the person responsible" for the Sept. 27 shooting along Pechin Street in the Roxborough neighborhood that killed Elizalde and injured four others.
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An arrest warrant on murder, attempted murder and other counts has been issued for the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Burney-Thorn, police said. Police did not say where Burney-Thorn lives or hangs out.
Police said that Burney-Thorn should be considered armed and dangerous.
A $45,000 reward from the city and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 is being offered for Burney-Thorn's arrest and conviction. Anyone who spots him is urged to call 911 immediately. People with tips can contact Philly police by texting or calling 215-686-8477 of submitting a tip online.
Philadelphia police are also looking for five additional suspects, Capt. Jason Smith said at a news conference on Tuesday. Investigators believe, in total, there were five gunmen and one other individual inside a light-colored Ford Explorer that took off from the scene.
On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Police Department released new surveillance video from a gas station. That video shows three suspects.
Smith said, so far, they have information on eight persons of interest, including Burney-Thorn.
PPD Commissioner Danielle Outlaw made her message to the suspects clear. “Turn yourselves in. We know who you are," she said. "And you’re just delaying the inevitable."
Outlaw explained authorities are giving the suspects the opportunity to turn themselves in Tuesday. And if that doesn’t happen, Outlaw said, "we’re coming for them."
Police didn't say what evidence they obtained that connects Burney-Thorn to the shooting. But the Philadelphia District Attorney's office confirmed both fingerprints and physical evidence were found in the stolen Explorer caught on surveillance video being used during the crime, and later recovered in Southwest Philly.
Police also found a second car involved in the case at 25th and Willard streets on Monday night, according to Smith. He said the gray Chevy Impala was used to shuttle the shooters back and forth to the Explorer.
“It’s not a movie. It’s not a video game. It’s not for fun on social media. This is real. And it needs to stop," said Outlaw.
Surveillance video released last week shows a group of five gunmen lying in wait inside an SUV and then running out and opening fire as a group of high school football players walked by after a scrimmage. The shooting killed one teen and wounded four others.
The gunmen, who authorities Wednesday said may themselves be minors, apparently targeted a specific group as they unleashed a barrage of bullets Tuesday afternoon behind Roxborough High School. The shooting killed Elizalde, who authorities said appeared to be an innocent victim.
"I think he's a totally innocent victim,” said Philadelphia Police Department Homicide Capt. Jason Smith. A $45,000 reward from the city, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the city's police union is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of suspects.
Four of the five who were shot – three 14-year-olds, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old – were members of the Roxborough High School football team, Smith said. The 17-year-old, who appears to be one of two targets, was not on the team but is friends with one of the other victims, the captain noted.
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The gunmen arrived in a sports utility vehicle. It stayed parked near the area of the scrimmage for about six minutes, waiting for the scrimmage between three schools to finish, police said. Other players passed the SUV, but the gunmen waited for a specific group to walk by before they jumped out and began firing.
The shooters fired at least 61 bullets, Smith said. One of the bullets struck Elizalde in the chest, killing him.
After opening fire, four of the shooters ran back into the vehicle, but one of them continued chasing one of the victims. As he fell to the ground, the gunman stood over the victim, ready to kill him, but he ran out of bullets and the gun jammed, Smith said.
All five gunmen got away in the Explorer, and police believe a sixth suspect was behind the wheel.
“This was definitely a well-orchestrated shooting. It really was," Smith said. "These individuals were being very careful to not leave their identifiers.”
Investigators are looking into the possibility that the shooting stemmed from some sort of altercation in the lunchroom earlier in the day, Smith said. He added that the gunmen are “dangerous” as he asked the public for help in the investigation.
Joel Dales, a deputy commissioner with the PPD, said there is a police presence at football games, but not normally at scrimmages. However, he said the police department has now asked the School District of Philadelphia for a list of upcoming scrimmages so that police officers can try to patrol those too. He noted, though, that officers will not be able to be at every scrimmage.
Tuesday’s shooting happened as the Roxborough High School football team was wrapping up a scrimmage that also included Northeast High School and Boys' Latin Charter School.
The naming of a suspect in the shooting that rocked Philadelphia came just ahead of Elizalde being laid to rest on Wednesday.
Elizalde's mother spoke to NBC10's Lucy Bustamante last week about her anguish. She called her son a "most gentle soul."
“I want them to know that Nick was the best son that anyone could ever ask for, that he was so special, that he never hurt anyone or anything," Meredith Elizalde said.
As of Oct. 3, at least 183 minors had been shot in Philadelphia this year, according to data from the city controller’s office. Those children account for about 10% of the shooting victims in Philadelphia in 2022.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
