In a tragic event that shook the community of Klamath Falls, Oregon, 19-year-old Aleeka Qualls, a female of Black and Indigenous heritage, was killed on June 29, 2024. A descendant of the Klamath Tribes, she died alongside her 14-year-old sister, Zion Qualls, in a violent encounter that unfolded within the perceived safety of their own home. Aleeka was remembered by her aunt as sweet, quiet, and very positive, with plans to attend college in Sacramento in the fall to study make-up and real
estate.
The horror began on a Saturday morning when the girls' father, Tashka Qualls, discovered a man hiding in their bedroom. Police were called to the residence just before 8 a.m. with reports of an armed man threatening the occupants. As officers arrived, they heard the sound of gunshots from inside. They entered to a devastating scene and arrested a suspect, 20-year-old Elijah Albert Qinkade Croy, who was found within feet of the two sisters.
The investigation revealed a harrowing sequence of events. Croy had first attempted to shoot Tashka Qualls after being discovered, but the handgun—which Croy later admitted to assembling himself from parts ordered online—failed to fire. Croy then turned the weapon on Aleeka and her sister Zion, fatally shooting them. One of the sisters was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other passed away after being transported to a local hospital. Authorities were also looking into whether a sexual assault had occurred.
Elijah Croy was taken into custody at the scene and subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of the sisters, as well as one count of attempted murder for the attack on their father, and unlawful use of a weapon. The Klamath Tribes voiced their deep mourning and called for justice, connecting the killings to the broader crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples. In a later development, Croy was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial by a psychiatrist and was ordered to be committed to the Oregon State Hospital.
