In an act of bravery that tragically cost him his life, 18-year-old Elijah Deloach was shot and killed in Philadelphia. The young man, a male just weeks from his high school graduation, was born in the Mount Airy section of the city. His family later moved to Elkins Park seeking a safer environment.
On a Tuesday night in May, a friend of Deloach's found herself the victim of a domestic assault and called her family for assistance.
Her sisters, along with Deloach, went to the apartment on the 7900 block of Henry Avenue in the Roxborough neighborhood, hoping to de-escalate the situation. However, as soon as Deloach stepped through the doorway, he was met with a single gunshot to the chest. He was privately transported to a local hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he died shortly after midnight.
The man responsible for the fatal shooting was identified as 23-year-old Kione Gary, the boyfriend of the woman Deloach had come to help. Immediately following the shooting, Gary attempted to flee by jumping from the fourth-story balcony of the apartment. He was not injured in the fall and was taken into custody by police who had arrived at the scene.
Kione Gary was subsequently arrested and is now facing a number of serious charges, including murder, aggravated assault, and strangulation in connection with the attack on his girlfriend. It was reported that the girlfriend had previously made allegations of assault against Gary. He is currently being held without bail.
