In the early morning hours of December 20, 2023, the quiet of a Harrisburg alley was broken by a grim discovery. There, in the 1500 block of Ella Alley, the life of 18-year-old Amari O'Nell McFadden had been tragically cut short. Police responded to a call at approximately 3 a.m. and found the young man with apparent gunshot wounds. Emergency medical services arrived at the scene, but it was too late; Amari was pronounced dead.
The Dauphin County Coroner would later confirm that his death was a result of the gunshots, officially ruling it a homicide.
Amari, who had spent much of his life in Harrisburg and Carlisle, was remembered by those who knew and loved him as a kind-hearted individual with an infectious smile and a great sense of humor. He was a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, and a friend to many. Intelligent and a fan of puzzles and problem-solving, he had a unique ability to connect with people, making strangers feel at ease. His sudden and violent death left a deep void in the hearts of his family and the wider community, who mourned the loss of a young man with so much potential.
For nearly two years, the investigation into Amari's death continued. Then, a significant development brought a measure of hope for justice to his grieving family. In November 2025, Harrisburg police announced the arrest of 22-year-old James Timothy Scott. He was charged with criminal homicide in connection with Amari's shooting death. The breakthrough in the case came after Scott's arrest on unrelated charges in January 2024, just weeks after the homicide. At the time of that arrest, he was found in possession of a semi-automatic handgun with no serial numbers. Ballistic testing by the Pennsylvania State Police later confirmed that this was the same weapon used to end Amari McFadden's life. Scott now faces charges of criminal homicide and multiple firearms offenses.
