Elijah House, a 16-year-old boy, was tragically killed on November 3, 2016, in the South Chicago neighborhood. The incident unfolded during a violent altercation involving his sister's boyfriend, Darryl "Bitedown" Benton-Harris. Benton-Harris, aged 19, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the fatal shootings of Elijah House and his pregnant girlfriend, Emoni House, who was also Elijah's sister.
The tragic event left both Elijah and his sister dead, while their mother and another woman were critically injured but survived the attack.
The shooting occurred in a residential home, where Benton-Harris and Elijah House reportedly had an argument regarding the treatment of Emoni. The argument escalated when Benton-Harris left the house to retrieve a gun. He returned and shot Elijah, then proceeded to shoot Emoni as well. Emoni, who was four months pregnant, succumbed to her injuries. The children in the home at the time of the attack were left unharmed but witnessed the violence. Benton-Harris was later arrested after a pursuit and charged for the killings. The event highlighted the tragic consequences of domestic violence and the dire impact of gun violence within family settings, further emphasizing Chicago's struggle with rising homicides during 2016.
