DA's office seeks five in Northwest Philadelphia homicides

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is seeking information that could lead to the arrests of five individuals sought in homicide cases that occurred in Northwest Philadelphia -- including a teen wanted for his suspected role in three murders: shootings of a 19-year-old and a 14-year-old, and the beating death of a 4-month-old child.

On Monday -- in the most recent of his office's series of meetings aimed at helping track down wanted individuals --District Attorney Larry Krasner detailed the cases against five individuals sought in homicides stretching back to 2021.

"I have a message for those of you who have been victims, or family members of victims of survivors of gun violence, and that is that you are not forgotten," said Krasner on Monday. "I have a message for people who attempt to be involved in gun violence and that is that we are watching, we are investigating, we are working very closely with all of our law enforcement partners and we are after swift and just consequences for those of you who engage in this behavior.

"Put the gun down. Get away from the gun, and don't look back," he continued.

During the day, Krasner highlighted five people that are sought by law enforcement officials:

• 16-year-old Dayron Burney-Thorn
  Burney-Thorn, officials said, is sought for his alleged role in three deaths that occurred in September of last year.
  He is wanted in a mass shooting that occurred on Sept. 27th, outside of Roxborough High School. In that incident, 14-year-old Nicolas Elizade was killed and four other students were injured.
  Burney-Thorn's co-conspirators in this incident were arrested and are currently in custody awaiting trial.
  He is also implicated in the murder of a 19-year-old man who was gunned down on the 640 block of N. 13th Street on the day before Elizade's slaying.
  Also, Burney-Thorn is suspected of beating his partner's 4-month-old child to death in an apartment on the 8200 block of Frankford Avenue on the morning of Sept. 4th.
  
• 23-year-old Kyree Dennis
  Dennis is sought by law enforcement officials for his suspected involvement in the deadly shooting of a 69-year-old man inside a Citizens Bank ATM vestibule on the 5700 block of Germantown Avenue on March 3rd, of last year.
  
• 29-year-old Shafeeq Lewis
  Lewis is sought after, officials said, he allegedly shot a 13-year-old boy in the chest on the morning of October 8th, in 2021 on the 3100 block of N. Judson Street.
  
• 28-year-old John Taylor
  Taylor, officials said, is wanted for his alleged involvement in the deadly shooting of a 21-year-old man, that happened on the afternoon of August 26th, along the 400 block of W. Nedro Avenue, last year. In this case, law enforcement officials said the victim was found inside of a black Chevy Equinox after he was shot in the head and torso.
  
• 40-year-old Alejandro Tilley
  Law enforcement officials said that Tilley is wanted for fatally shooting a 66-year-old man in the chest on the 5700 block of Anderson Street, in the early morning hours of May 30th, last year.

Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal took a moment to plead for those who might be assisting these individuals as they remain on the lam, to stop hiding them and work with police.

"We need your help. Everybody has to go to sleep somewhere. Everybody eats somewhere. Everybody has a family member of all of these fugitives and, we are saying to you, what you don't want. You don't want this smoke coming up in your house," she said.

Krasner noted that, in the past, his office has seen results after providing information on a regular basis on individuals who remain to be apprehended by police.

"Law enforcement so far has had some success in bringing to justice fugitives wanted for deadly crimes since we've asked for the public's assistance," said DA Krasner. "But we continue to need the public's help locating these fugitives. My office intends to hold these suspects accountable to the fullest extent of the law once they're apprehended."

In anyone could provide information that could lead to the arrest of any of these individuals, members of the public are asked to call the Philadelphia Police Department's crime tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477) or email Tips@PhillyPolice.com.

They can also contact the U.S. Marshall's Office at 1-877-WANTED-2 (1-877-926-8332).

There is more information on these individuals and other sought by police at PhillyMostWanted.org.