A 16-year-old boy is on the run from police after allegedly shooting and killing a teenage friend inside their home. Eric Anthony Krassman Jr. is accused of shooting Darell Love, 16, on Wednesday at a property in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
Police in Pennsylvania said they rushed to the 300 block of 13th Street just before 10 p.m. after receiving a call from Darell’s mother.
According to CBS News, she was in her bedroom when she heard a ‘loud bang’ and her son walked in bleeding heavily from his head, telling her his friend had shot him.
According to a criminal complaint filed after the incident, Krassman dropped a semiautomatic handgun in the property’s living room and fled before police arrived. Darell was rushed to a nearby hospital, but died as a result of his injuries.
Krassman is now facing charges of criminal homicide and minor possession of a firearm. As part of the manhunt, police released three photos of the teen, who has blonde hair, stands 5 feet 5 inches tall, has blue eyes, and weighs approximately 120 pounds.
They urged the public not to approach him because they believe he may be armed and dangerous, according to the Mirror US.
Jhzmier Haynes, Darell’s devastated friend, has been struggling to process the unexpected loss of the ‘kind-hearted’ high school student.
She told CBS she didn’t believe it was real. I woke up hoping it wasn’t real, and then I saw that he had died, and I was hysterical all morning… If you were down, he’d lift you up, because that’s the type of person he was. He was very kind-hearted and everything.
Meanwhile, on a GoFundMe page set up to help with Darell’s funeral expenses, a family member described a heartbreaking turn of events, writing: “Darell Love unexpectedly died due to gun violence. Someone he thought was a friend killed him.”
“Darell was just 16 years old and a sophomore in high school. He was the sweetest soul you’d ever meet, always smiling and showing respect.
He knew how to light up a room with his jokes and laughter. He loved everyone, and everyone loved him. We are devastated and heartbroken by this thoughtless act against my brother.
A heartfelt tribute on the Washington Funeral Home’s Facebook page shared touching details about Darell’s life, including his excitement for the holiday season before his untimely death.
The post stated: “Darell was a 10th-grade student at Beaver Falls High School in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He enjoyed school and was an excellent student. He liked playing basketball, video games, and listening to music. Although he enjoyed his free time, he had plans to attend Voc-Tech School for Welding in January.
“His family meant everything to him, and he looked forward to Christmas and family gatherings. Holidays were times when the entire family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and distant relatives would gather to celebrate.
Darell looked forward to this time of the year. We know he will be sorely missed but remembered for his youthful and spontaneous spirit.”
