Teen suspect arrested for killing of 16-year-old boy in Upper Darby: police

Teen arrested after 16-year-old killed in Upper Darby Twp.

Michael Nixon, 17, is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder, among other offenses, after Khalief Webster, a 16-year-old sophomore at Upper Darby High School, was fatally shot this past weekend.

UPPER DARBY TWP., Pa. - A 17-year-old suspect was taken into custody days after a 16-year-old boy was shot to death in Upper Darby Township.

The backstory:

Khalief Webster, a 16-year-old sophomore at Upper Darby High School, was fatally shot at the intersection of Pine Street and Long Lane this past weekend.

Khalief Webster, 16 (Family provided)

Police believe that Webster was riding his motorized scooter when he encountered the suspected shooter.

A heated conversation ensued, followed by a gunshot. The suspect then ran away.

What we know:

On Wednesday, Upper Darby Township Police identified Michael Nixon, 17, as the person responsible for shooting and killing Khalief Webster, 16, just a short walk from his home on Sunday afternoon. 

Nixon is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder, among other offenses.

"Two families have been shattered and Khalief Webster will never get to enjoy life, will never get to go to college, have a family, or be able to do all the things that he should’ve been able to do if it wasn’t for the cowardly act of Michael Nixon, said Superintendent Tim Bernhardt of the Upper Darby Township Police Department.

Court documents revealed that just before 3 p.m., Webster was riding a miniature dirt bike down Pine Street, to Long Lane, when surveillance video captured a person saying, "You that young boul I seen the other day? You better not be."

Documents say he said something muffled, then a gunshot went off.

The video shows the shooter, who police identified as Nixon, putting what is believed to be a firearm in his waistband and then calling someone on his phone, saying, "I just shoot somebody in their chest, bro," according to documents.

Within hours of the homicide, investigators say they identified Nixon as a suspect, capturing him on numerous residential and business cameras before and after the homicide. 

On Tuesday, police say they executed two search warrants. Documents say police searched at a home on North State Road, where detectives seized two fired cartridge casings and two handgun frames, and also brought a family member in for questioning . She told investigators, according to documents, that Nixon called her after the shooting and she picked him up. During that time, Nixon admitted to her that he shot someone that he had an argument with a day or two before.

Police say Nixon turned himself in, alone, at police headquarters on Tuesday night. He was transferred to a detention center around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

What they're saying:

"We gotta figure out another way to solve conflict. Guns are not the answer, it’s just senseless, it breaks my heart," said Mayor Ed Brown.

Mayor Brown and police say they sat down with Webster’s family, who were not ready to comment on camera about the arrest on Wednesday.

"They spent considerable time telling me how special he was, he wasn’t a troublemaker, not a bad kid at all, he had a bright future," said Mayor Brown.

What's next:

Police say the investigation is active and ongoing and would not comment on a potential motive, or if Webster and Nixon knew each other. Investigators say more charges could be coming, including for those that kept Nixon hidden leading up until Tuesday night.