by Dan Doyle | August 15, 2025
PHILADELPHIA — Nearly three years after the deadly ambush outside Roxborough High School that claimed the life of 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde, Philadelphia police have announced the arrest of a sixth suspect.
Zaakir McClendon, 20, is now charged with murder, five counts of attempted murder, and related offenses in connection with the September 27, 2022, shooting that left four other teenagers wounded.
The attack unfolded at approximately 4:41 p.m., just after a football scrimmage near the school’s athletic fields. Responding officers found five gunshot victims. Elizalde, a student from suburban Havertown, was pronounced dead a short time later at Einstein Medical Center. The other victims all teenagers sustained injuries ranging from minor graze wounds to more serious leg and arm injuries.
According to investigators, McClendon’s link to the case emerged in May 2025, when a CODIS database match tied DNA found at the crime scene to him following an unrelated firearms arrest. A court-approved search warrant for a fresh DNA sample confirmed the match.
Detectives also reviewed McClendon’s phone records, which showed frequent contact around the time of the shooting with at least two suspects already charged in the case. Authorities say those communications hinted at a possible motive, though details have not been released.
Five others have been arrested previously in the case, and police say the latest arrest underscores their ongoing commitment to securing justice for Elizalde and the other victims.
“This is another step forward in holding everyone involved accountable,” a police spokesperson said.
Note: Criminal charges, and any reporting thereof, are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.