5th Suspect In Deadly Roxborough High Shooting Arrested: Feds

ROXBOROUGH, PHILADELPHIA — Federal authorities have reportedly taken the fifth and final suspect sought in connection with the deadly September 2022 shooting outside Roxborough High School into custody.

The U.S. Marshals Service said Dayron Burney-Thorn was taken into custody Monday morning on the 200 block of West Walnut Lane in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood by its agents and Philadelphia Police.

Burney-Thorn, 17, is accused of partaking in the Sept. 27, 2022 shooting that killed 14-year-old Nicolas Elizalde, of Havertown, and hurt several other teens as the teens left a football scrimmage at the school.

For the past few months, Deputy Marshals had learned Burney-Thorn may be back in the Philadelphia area.

Early Monday, investigators learned Burney-Thorn was in an apartment in the 200 block of West Walnut Lane.

At about 1:45 p.m., members of the fugitive task force surrounded the apartment complex and knocked and announced their presence.

After attempting to stall investigators, Burney-Thorn opened a window of the fourth floor apartment and jumped out in an attempt to flee.

U.S. Marshals Task Force Officers who were on the ground then struggled with Burney-Thorn before he was successfully placed in custody.

Burney-Thorn was then transported by Philadelphia medics to a local hospital for medical treatment.

"Burney- Thorn’s capture sends a clear message that we never cease in our pursuit of bringing violent fugitives to justice," Eric Gartner, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, said. "Our thoughts remain with Meredith Elizalde, who lost her only son Nicholas in this tragic murder, and hope this last arrest can bring some closure to Nicolas’ classmates and teammates at Roxborough High School."

Four others — Saleem Miller, 16, Troy Fletcher, 15, Yaaseen Bivins, 21, and Zyheid Jones, 17 — were all taken into custody in connection with the Roxborough shooting.

Burney-Thorn also implicated in the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Tahmir Jones the day before the Roxborough shooting on the 640 block of N. 13th Street.