Prosecutors dropped murder charges Wednesday against a Pennsylvania high school football star accused of shooting his twin brother to death earlier this month.
District Attorney Larry Krasner said evidence uncovered by the investigation indicted that Fayaadh Gillard, 18, did not mean to shoot his brother, Suhail Gillard, on December 1, according to NBC 10.
Krasner said the ultimate responsibility for the shooting belongs to the boys’ father, Aleem Gillard, who was showing the twins and their 16-year-old sister his guns and how they work. The elder Gillard, Krasner said, is a convicted felon and barred from having guns and will be “treated accordingly.”
“He was demonstrating how to use it — showing them specifics about the firearm, how to load, unload, how to actually eject bullets,” Assistant District Attorney Ashley Toczylowski said. “The firearms were given to the children to, essentially, mimic what he was doing.”
Fayaadh pulled the trigger, shooting Suhail once in the chest. First responders rushed the teen to Lankenau Medical Center in Lower Merion, where he died from his injuries, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
Aleem Gillard also encouraged his son to cover up the shooting, Krasner said. The prosecutor added that obstruction of justice and lying to authorities charges against Fayaadh were also dropped.
Both boys were seniors and star football players at Mastery Charter North High School. Both had recently won All Public League honors. Suhail had committed to playing for West Virginia State University next fall, the Philly Voice reported.
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[Feature Photo: Fayaadh Gillard/Police Handout]
