Man sentenced for separate shootings that killed Philly teens

Meredith Elizalde, the mother of Nicolas Elizalde, a high school student who was shot and killed in 2022, read a prepared statement after the final suspect in her son’s murder was sentenced to 40 to 80 years in prison. In her statement, Meredith mentioned that one of her son’s favorite places to visit, the Academy of Natural Sciences, is set to close on Sept. 27, 2026, the four-year anniversary of her son’s murder. She spoke about the importance of investing in institutions that help inspire and protect the youth. A man will spend decades in prison for two separate shootings that killed two teenagers in Philadelphia.

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Scoop News DeskPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania · Published Friday, September 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM UTCUpdated Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 2:30 PM UTC

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At that point, McClendon had already been arrested and charged a month prior in July 2025 in connection to the deadly shooting of 16-year-old Nafis Betrand-Hill in April 2023. "I want to thank Assistant District Attorneys Lauren Crump and Ashley Toczylowski for securing justice in these cases," District Attorney Larry Krasner said. "We can only hope that the family and friends of Nicolas and Nafis will find some solace with this outcome. Five people were initially arrested and charged in connection with the shooting.

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