Nicolas Elizalde murder: Sixth arrest made in 2022 shooting outside Roxborough High School
PHILADELPHIA - A sixth suspect linked to the deadly shooting of 2022 of Philadelphia teenager Nicolas Elizalde was charged on Friday, according to police.
Elizalde, 14, was gunned down as he and other members of the Roxborough High School JV football team headed back to the locker room after a scrimmage.
What we know:
Zaakir McClendon, 20, was charged with murder, five counts of attempted murder, and other crimes linked to the September 22, 2022 killing of Elizalde.
Investigators say McClendon, who is in jail for another shooting, matched DNA evidence taken from spent shell casings recovered at the scene of the shooting.
Cell phone records confirmed that McClendon was in "frequent contact" with at least two suspects charged in the murder of Elizalde around the time of the murder.
Investigators added that additional communications recovered by police "suggested a possible motive."
The backstory:
Authorities say Elizalde was walking back to the locker room with other members of the Roxborough High School JV football team when the deadly gunfire erupted.
Elizalde was fatally struck by gunfire and four others teens suffered gunshot wounds ranging from graze injuries to serious leg and arm wounds, investigators say.
Teen sentenced in murder of 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde
Zyheid Jones, 19, has been sentenced for the 2022 murder of 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde.
Yaaseen Bivins, 21, Zyhied Jones, 17, Saleem Miller, 16, and 15-year-old Troy Fletcher were arrested and charged in connection to the deadly shooting. Dayron Burney-Thorn, the fifth suspect in the shooting, eluded police for more than two years before he was captured in Germantown.
Jones and Fletcher have since been sentenced to decades behind bars, while the three others charged in the case are expected to go to trial later this year.
What they're saying:
Police called the arrest of McClendon "another step forward in the pursuit of justice for Elizalde, his family, and the other victims."
"The Philadelphia Police Department remains committed to holding all those responsible accountable for their actions," police said in a release.