Christopher "Chris" Trevel Thomas, a 19-year-old male of African American ethnicity from Upper Darby, PA, tragically passed away on April 6, 2016. He was born in Upland, PA, to George Thomas and Damian Lynn Thomas . Chris was known to be a loving, smart, funny, and respectful young man who had aspirations of returning to school and eventually opening his own barber shop.
On the day of his death, Chris was sitting at Atlantic and Crosley avenues in Upper Darby with two other people around
4:15 p.m. A car rolled down the street, and someone inside opened fire. Chris was struck and managed to flee about 150 yards into the 7000 block of Atlantic Avenue, where he collapsed. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, and an autopsy later determined he had died from gunshot wounds to the neck and chest.
The investigation into Chris's death revealed that the shooting was "about a girl," but the wrong person was targeted. Three individuals were implicated in the crime: Rahshawn White-Thorpe, 27, of Philadelphia, Abdul Dukuray, 27, of Upper Darby, and Rene Edwards, 29, also of Philadelphia. White-Thorpe was arrested two days after the shooting, Edwards was arrested in May 2016, and Dukuray was arrested in October 2018.
Rene Edwards, who was a friend of Chris, entered an open guilty plea to third-degree murder in November 2018 and received a sentence of four to ten years in prison. Rahshawn White-Thorpe pleaded guilty to third-degree murder, conspiracy, and firearms offenses, receiving an eight to sixteen-year sentence. Abdul Dukuray entered a "no contest" plea to a single charge of firearms not being carried without a license and was sentenced to three to six years in prison.
Chris's mother, Damian Thomas, described her son as a loving and caring individual who always looked out for his friends and tried to guide his younger siblings on the right path. She expressed the heartbreak and devastation the family has endured since his death, lamenting the loss of holidays, outings, and the future Chris would never have.
The case brought some closure to the family, but the pain of losing Chris remains profound. His mother continues to honor his memory and the impact he had on those around him.
