In the city of Trenton, New Jersey, a dispute escalated into a tragic act of violence that claimed the life of 16-year-old Gustavo Gus Eduardo Perez. On the evening of October 20, 2020, Gustavo and his 8-year-old brother, Johnny Perez, were inside their home on Mulberry Street when gunfire erupted from the outside. Both brothers were struck by the bullets and were later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Gustavo was a male teenager.
The events leading to the fatal shooting began earlier in the day with a verbal altercation. Gustavo and his older brother had a confrontation with two individuals, Dajuan “Bando” Kelley and Destanie Ellis, after attempting to get into a vehicle they were sitting in. Following the dispute, Ellis allegedly followed the Perez brothers back to their residence. Later that night, at approximately 10:30 p.m., Kelley reportedly opened fire on the second-floor of the home, where Gustavo and his younger brother were standing.
In the days following the shooting, an investigation led by the Mercer County Homicide Task Force resulted in the identification and apprehension of the two suspects. Destanie Ellis, then 29, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, was arrested in Trenton. Her alleged accomplice, 26-year-old Dajuan Kelley of Ewing, was apprehended in Hampton, Georgia, by the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force. Both individuals were subsequently charged with two counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and weapons offenses in connection with the deaths of the two young brothers.
