In the early morning hours of June 29, 2024, the lives of a family in Klamath Falls, Oregon, were irrevocably shattered. Inside their home, 14-year-old Zion Qualls, a Black and Indigenous female, and her older sister, 19-year-old Aleeka, were tragically killed. The girls were descendants of the Klamath Tribes, and their community was plunged into deep mourning following the violent incident that cut their young lives short.
The horrific events unfolded when the girls' father, Tashka Qualls, discovered a man hiding in one of the bedrooms.
Police were called to the residence just before 8 a.m. regarding a man with a gun menacing the occupants. Upon their arrival, they heard gunshots from inside the home. The intruder, identified as 20-year-old Elijah Albert Qinkade Croy, first attempted to shoot the girls' father, but the weapon, a Glock-style handgun Croy later admitted to assembling from parts ordered online, failed to fire. Croy then turned the gun on the two sisters, fatally shooting both of them. Officers entered the home and arrested Croy within feet of the two victims. Zion died at the scene, while Aleeka was rushed to a local hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.
In the aftermath of the double homicide, Elijah Albert Qinkade Croy was taken into custody and charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and unlawful use of a weapon. Authorities have not yet confirmed a motive, though they are investigating the possibility of an attempted sexual assault. The case has sent shockwaves through the community and has been highlighted by the Klamath Tribes as a tragic example of the ongoing violence experienced by their members, connecting it to the broader crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples. Croy was later ordered to undergo a mental fitness evaluation to determine if he is competent to stand trial.
