ELLSWORTH, Pa. — A man is dead and another is facing charges after a shooting inside a home in Washington County late Sunday.
The shooting happened at around 11:12 p.m. in the 20 block of Walnut Street in Ellsworth.
Elijah Thomas Johnson, 21, of Carnegie, was allegedly shot and killed by Christopher Tarkelo Harper, 18, inside a home.
According to state police, Harper forced his way into the home, which is where the mother of his unborn baby was living. Inside, investigators say Harper found his ex-girlfriend with another man.
“We were able to put pieces together and determine that Harper and the victim did know each other in some sort of relation as the incident became more of a relationship with a third-party entity inside that residence,” Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said during a press conference Monday.
Investigators say there were several children and teens inside the home, but it’s not clear what their relationship is to the victim or the homeowner. Troopers say they conducted close to a dozen interviews on the scene within the first hour.
Investigators say they also became aware that Christopher Harper may be with another man in a vehicle that was tied to New Castle. Police pulled that car over and were able to determine that Harper was inside a New Castle home. He was taken into custody by New Castle police and will be extradited to Washington County on Monday evening.
“A 12-hour period to pretty much figure out a homicide - that’s pretty crazy work,” Trooper Gagliardi added.
Harper is charged with criminal homicide, burglary, firearms charges and reckless endangerment. He will be arraigned in front of a local magistrate once he’s back in Washington County.
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