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PHILADELPHIA - Zaakir McClendon has been sentenced to 40-80 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges connected to two fatal shootings, including the deadly 2022 Roxborough High School shooting that resulted in the death of 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde.
McClendon Sentenced
What we know:
McClendon was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to two counts of third-degree murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and four counts of attempted murder, as well as related crimes. He was sentenced to 40-80 years in prison.
McClendon was identified as the sixth and final person arrested for the Roxborough High School mass shooting on September 27, 2022, and the third charged in the murder of Nafis Betrand-Hill on April 13, 2023.
What they're saying:
"We can only hope that the family and friends of Nicolas and Nafis will find some solace with this outcome," said District Attorney Larry Krasner. He added that convictions cannot bring back the victims or heal the wounds suffered by others but said the office "will continue to support the co-victims of these senseless tragedies."
The backstory:
The Roxborough High School shooting happened September 27, 2022, resulting in the death of Nicolas Elizalde and injuries to four children. On April 13, 2023, McClendon was involved in the fatal shooting of Nafis Betrand-Hill in North Philadelphia. He was arrested in connection with both cases, becoming the sixth and final defendant in the Roxborough case and the third in the North Philadelphia murder.
The Source: Information provided by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.