In the late summer of 2017, the life of a young Harrisburg man was tragically cut short in a fatal encounter that began with a plan for a robbery. On the evening of August 16th, 20-year-old Dion Walker, a Black male, was found by police inside his vehicle which had crashed into a pole on North 69th Street. He was bleeding from a gunshot wound to his side and was rushed to Hershey Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The subsequent investigation by Swatara Township Police would quickly unravel a plot orchestrated by three teenagers.
Witnesses at the scene reported hearing gunshots and seeing two males fleeing into a nearby residential area. This led police to a home on Huntingdon Street where they took four individuals into custody, three of whom would soon be charged in connection with Walker's death. The investigation revealed that a 14-year-old girl, Chiara Snyder-Harvey, had arranged to buy an ounce of marijuana from Walker for $230. However, she and her companions, 18-year-old Demetrius Aquino and 16-year-old Ricardo McClure, had no intention of paying and planned to steal the drugs from him.
The plan took a deadly turn when Aquino allegedly entered Walker's vehicle. According to statements made to the police, a struggle ensued over a gun. McClure told investigators that Aquino was the one who shot Walker. In his own interview, Aquino claimed the gun 'just went off' as he and McClure wrestled over the weapon. Following the shooting, the suspects fled, and police later recovered a loaded gun hidden under a bed inside the Huntingdon Street residence where they were found.
As a result of the investigation, Demetrius Aquino, Ricardo McClure, and Chiara Snyder-Harvey were all arrested and faced serious charges. The Dauphin County District Attorney's office charged all three with homicide, robbery, and conspiracy. In a significant legal step, both the 16-year-old McClure and the 14-year-old Snyder-Harvey were charged as adults, facing the full weight of the legal system for their roles in the robbery that led to the untimely death of Dion Walker.
