Man facing homicide charges after fatally shooting 21-year-old inside Ellsworth home
Shooting happened late Sunday night
I, I, uh, thanks for joining us this afternoon at Troy headquarters. Thought we’d give you guys *** quick update as you guys were pretty involved in our scenario last night in Ellsworth. So we’ll do *** quick recap and tell you where we’re at as of 11 or 1:30 this afternoon. So last night just after 11 p.m. the Troop B major case team did get activated last night for that incident in Ellsworth Borough. So troopers did respond. It was just after 11 o’clock, about 11:18. To Walnut Street in Ellsworthboro for reports of her shooting. First responders show up on scene. And made contact with the victim in this case, which is Elijah Johnson. It’s E L I J *** H. Last name Johnson, J O H N S O N. So they made contact with Johnson inside the residence suffering from *** gunshot wound. That time first responders tried everything in their power to bring Johnson to *** good medical aid stance. Unfortunately that was not accessible at that time through all their efforts, and he was declared deceased on scene per medical staff. At that time it was probably about midnight. Troopy Major K team activates in full force, so that’s everything from FSU, cars reconstruction, analyzing the whole scene, FSU fingerprints, analysis, bull casings, you name it. So that starts at midnight and we’re already, you know, we were able to get you guys *** real good update at noon plus some other things happen. So you know, in *** 12 hour period, pretty much figure out *** homicide. That’s pretty crazy work if you really look at it from an outside view. Troopers on scene last night were able to determine from early investigations that our defendant in this case, Christopher Harper, last name H *** R P E R. He is now charged with homicide and in PSB custody, but at that time we were able to put pieces together and um determine that Harper and the victim did know each other in some sort of relation as the incident became more of *** romantic relation with *** third party entity inside that inside that residence. So early investigation shows Harper going into that residence, locating the female in, in the middle of the mixture with our victim. And then the dis the dispute continues, which leads right to the shooting. That time, Harper does leave before PSP’s arrival. Troopy Major case team kick starts that investigation with everything we know. We did just get an update recently with Newcastle PD. They had an incident up there. They were able to get Harper into custody and transfer him over to Newcastle PSP barracks where we are waiting to see if we can transfer him back down to Washington County. At this time, you know, we work with the DA very heavily. It seems more like *** isolated incident, so we were able to relate to you guys here today. It doesn’t seem like there’s gonna be any sort of immediate threat to the community in Ellsworth. That time, are there any additional questions you said he was arrested. I’m assuming in Newcastle was he hiding? Yeah, so like I just got the fellow Newcastle, uh, one of the supervisors. They had an incident regarding *** different mail at that time. I’ll let them go into that, but the incident started at *** residence in Newcastle with the police department and actually kind of rotated right back to that same residence where they were able to get the mail they were going after, plus Harper in relation to our incident as well. Can you repeat that? I’m sorry. No, yeah, Newcastle had *** was having an incident with another male at that time. They got into an incident with that male which kind of circled back to the residence. They were able to get their male suspect out of the residence plus Harper. And then we transfer that to Newcastle PSP from Newcastle PD the first suspect, I said I, I don’t, we didn’t get I didn’t get very much information because Newcastle this literally just happened, so I’ll let them talk about their case, um, but they were able to get the extra mail out of the house which was. Our suspect at the time, which now is our defendant with the charges. So was it like they knew the suspect was in the house and that’s why they were there or were they there for the other person and then just kind of got lucky with? I don’t want to assume it because I’ll let Newcastle speak to that themselves on what they were doing there or just in that area at that time. Yeah, can we go back to last night when you responded to who was in the house just the victim there? He was *** couple of other entities in the house and I said from that midnight showcase with the major case team we conducted probably 6 or 1 interviews within that first hour, which was very important to the whole investigation from people not only inside the house but also outside, and it’s still so fresh for us we’re not going to release any of that because we want to make sure that case is strongly built with the DA’s office come next couple weeks here in *** hearing. We noticed with Harper’s criminal charges, one of the charges is um felony burglary, like overnight accommodations, home invasion, or was he, did he sneak into the house? Was he not wanted in the house? What was the situation that he ended up inside the house? Right, so the charges do lay that out pretty. Particularly, um, but like we said it was more of *** disgruntled emotional effort, so you could see that that barging in of *** of an occupied structure and that’s probably why you’ll see that charge now we still have some interviews to conduct and things to work with the DA on, but that’s why you see that initial charge now, um, just one of those cases where it’s *** three-way, you know, almost domestic and things can get *** little. and entry towards the house. That’s why you probably see that charge on that complaint as of today. Uh, at this time, no, um, but we’re still working with her with the DA’s office to see what more information we can get out of the whole scenario if we can. Who actually lived in the house with the the this third party you mentioned who actually lived there and neither the victim nor Parker. Um, but that wasn’t, yeah, so we conducted an interview with the property owner this morning. We’re gonna conduct another one later this week, so to really cross our T’s and dot our I’s on who really was in the house, but really at the end of the day, it’s up to the property owner. Um, to determine, you know, who was living there, and that’s why you see that burglary charge as clearly he’s not listed there, but, um, something we’re we’re gonna continuously work with the property owner for later this week. Oh, so just so I’m the burglary charge. Applies to the home where the shooting happened. Correct, yeah, on on Walnut Street forced entry. I said it’s all fresh, so I said, the car’s reconstruction analysis they have this really cool machine that really reps the whole scene. So to get this all really wrapped up for you guys in 12 hours is pretty phenomenal, but all the extra stuff is something that will come later on this week. I’m sorry that um Harper, who was arrested, is he like the ex-boyfriend, are you thinking? And maybe his ex-girlfriend has *** new boyfriend? Right, that’s the million dollar question is, you know, what, what game or what angle, right, is, is each side of the fence there? That’s something we’ll probably figure out later more this week with some more interviews. Like I said, we just got him into PSB custody in Newcastle. If we can get *** full extradition. Down to here um we’ll see if he wants to talk to our guys and girls down here in the major case team and see if we can get more information, but right now we we are very happy and pleased with, you know, *** full investigation from midnight to noon with an arrest. Uh, that’s really good work for us, but we have more work to do following this press conference, and that’s going to lead to pretty much all these loose ends that we need to tie up. Did he end up in Newcastle or just because he was fleeing, uh, from, you know, from the shooting, or did he have any kind of connections or ties to. Um, I’d say both in that in that scenario. I said I check with Newcastle PD and see why he’s up there. Um, obviously, you know, I’m sticking around here when you have nothing but PSP in the news media hovering over Ellsworth for 6 to 8 hours, right, um, plus ties with Newcastle PD and their incident, you’ll probably find your answer up there through Newcastle. Both he and Johnson were from. Yeah, I know I got Harper from Ellsworth. I’m gonna check on Johnson’s location here *** little bit. Um, yeah, I’ll let, I’ll get you that after we’re done here today. Yeah, yeah, Harper’s here. I know Johnson’s not super far. Um, we had, we had *** lot of other entities in. Mixed with interviews that were *** little bit further away. So, so we’re waiting on FSU’s finalized report for in the medical examiner’s report to match all that up. So hopefully later this week we’ll get that all for you. I know from some people on scene they said it was multiple shots, but I said we really want to make sure that those reports match up before we release any sort of numerical asset to how many shots were fired. The victim, he wasn’t dead when police arrived on scene. They were they able to communicate with him in the hours before he died, or? That I’m not sure about, but we’re, we’ll check on that for you, but I just know from the coroner’s report it was declared on scene. So, um, like I said, it’s still real fresh, guys. So, um, we’re trying to get everything we can so this is *** quick update for you guys in 12 hours. It’s real big update with an arrest, so that’s really good for us. So I always loose end stuff, we’ll check on that later this week and I’ll be able to answer anything you guys might have on that end of things. *** lot of um teenagers at the scene this morning. Is that difficult as part of the investigation that you have so many people who look like they’re under the age of 18, like yeah, you know, middle, younger teenage people to interview or to figure out what happened? Yeah, it’s, it’s always *** curveball in an incident, but you know, we, when we show up, we know we have to deal with the homicide and our guys and girls and our troop B major. Team knows how to handle business. Now there are some, you know, parameters you have to look out for juveniles, but especially with this case, you know, you have both these males at *** very younger age, you know, one just pushed 18, I believe our our defendant did, so that, you know, grasp of the incident has *** lot of younger people involved, so it’s something we look out for, make sure we’re doing everything properly per regulations and procedures, um, so it might just be an extra check of things, but you know, status quo is usual for all of our efforts. Were there any children in the mix between like the two separate couples like Harper and the woman or Johnson and the woman? You mean like if they have any children together? I can check on that here for you. You said 12 hours. That’s awfully quick. Is that, is that something you guys really deal with? I mean, what, what was our last one we had, um, the female, right? The home invasion, it was just about *** month ago, right? Uh, so, so two past homicides in Washington County, I mean. At *** record pace on us, right, so. Our Troop B major case team is, I, I always argue one of the best in the state and we deal with *** lot of crazy incidents and they’re dynamic, right? It’s not like it’s, it could be in the city, it could be in the middle of nowhere, it could be very rural, and they have to adapt to everything just like we’re talking about, right? We went from, you know, somewhere in the middle of nowhere usually crime doesn’t happen, home invasion. Now we did last night, very younger generational area probably doesn’t see, uh, police response from *** state level too often, so it’s *** different dynamic. Every day for the major case team, but they have performed in each and every case this year at *** really phenomenal rate, so it’s something to really appreciate. Have you guys collaborated with local police to see if they’ve been called to that home before there been any issues with that before? It’s probably part of the normal operations, and that’s something that comes after the arrest comes into place because that’s when the DA comes in. They build that case and then they present that to the judge, but you know, local support’s huge. I said we just got off the phone. Personally with Newcastle and they were more than happy to help us out and give us all the information and tell us what happened and easily transfer that right over to Newcastle PSP. Having good relations like that makes it real easy. Having not real good relations with the local department can make that somewhat challenging, and I wouldn’t be right here today with you guys at one. It would have been tomorrow and through *** lot of legal procedures, but to have that real good connection makes it really easy to get this stuff real streamlined within 12 hours. Do you have *** copy of the complaint? I don’t, but you can get that through the magistrate, as I believe it either *** already got sent, or B, it’s already in the process of being uploaded online. Sweet once twice, so nice.
Man facing homicide charges after fatally shooting 21-year-old inside Ellsworth home
Shooting happened late Sunday night
Updated: 5:34 PM EDT Aug 18, 2025
A man was killed, and an 18-year-old is facing charges after Pennsylvania State Police say an isolated incident led to a shooting inside a Washington County home Sunday night. Pa. State Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said during a press conference Monday that crews were called to a home along Walnut Street in Ellsworth following reports of shots being fired inside a home. FULL VIDEO OF PRESS CONFERENCE IN PLAYFINDER ABOVE When officials arrived on scene, they said a 21-year-old, later identified as Elijah Thomas Johnson, of Carnegie, was found with a gunshot wound. EMS administered aid, and Johnson was later pronounced dead at the scene. Gagliardi said preliminary investigation determined that Johnson and the suspect did know each other in “some sort of relation,” saying that the incident appeared to have become “more of a romantic relation with a third party involved.” Officials identified the suspect as Christopher Harper, 18, of Ellsworth. Harper was said to have entered the home when an altercation between him and Johnson occurred, Gagliardi said. State Police elaborated off-camera, saying that Harper and the woman who lived at the home were expecting a child together.The suspect then left the scene after shooting Johnson and was found Monday afternoon in New Castle. Gagliardi said that Harper is facing homicide charges and is waiting for him to be transferred back to Washington County. This is a developing story. Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
ELLSWORTH, Pa. —
A man was killed, and an 18-year-old is facing charges after Pennsylvania State Police say an isolated incident led to a shooting inside a Washington County home Sunday night.
Pa. State Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said during a press conference Monday that crews were called to a home along Walnut Street in Ellsworth following reports of shots being fired inside a home.
FULL VIDEO OF PRESS CONFERENCE IN PLAYFINDER ABOVE
When officials arrived on scene, they said a 21-year-old, later identified as Elijah Thomas Johnson, of Carnegie, was found with a gunshot wound. EMS administered aid, and Johnson was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Gagliardi said preliminary investigation determined that Johnson and the suspect did know each other in “some sort of relation,” saying that the incident appeared to have become “more of a romantic relation with a third party involved.”
Officials identified the suspect as Christopher Harper, 18, of Ellsworth.
Harper was said to have entered the home when an altercation between him and Johnson occurred, Gagliardi said.
State Police elaborated off-camera, saying that Harper and the woman who lived at the home were expecting a child together.
The suspect then left the scene after shooting Johnson and was found Monday afternoon in New Castle.
Gagliardi said that Harper is facing homicide charges and is waiting for him to be transferred back to Washington County.
This is a developing story.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.