Man shoots into wrong home, killing sleeping teen, Nebraska cops say. He’s prison-bound
One of four men accused of firing at least 20 shots indiscriminately into a home, killing a sleeping 15-year-old girl, will spend decades in prison, according to Nebraska reports.
Selassie Spencer, 22, pleaded no contest in February to second-degree murder following the November 2022 fatal shooting of Synthia Elliot in Omaha, KETV reported.
Now, Spencer has been sentenced to 75 to 90 years in prison, according to WKRC. He will be eligible for parole in 40 years.
“Taking a life is a burden I will carry for the rest of my life,” he said in court, according to the Omaha World-Herald. “Truly, my heart is not evil. My empathy is sincere. Although I am deeply saddened by my choices, I take full responsibility.”
The Omaha Police Department arrested Spencer and three others on Dec. 1, 2022, the day after Synthia was killed. Officers had been dispatched after numerous gunshots were heard, and the teen’s body was found inside the home.
Synthia, it turns out, was not the group’s intended target, prosecutors said.
“It’s hard to comprehend exactly what they were thinking and I don’t know the answer to that,” Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine told WOWT. “But it appears the person they were intending to shoot wasn’t (Elliott) and they might have even been at the wrong address.”
Police said the group could not find the address of their target, so they fired at least 20 shots into the nearest home, WKRC reported. One of the bullets struck Synthia in the head while she was sleeping, police told the outlet.
Another of the arrested men, Jarrious Hill, has also pleaded no contest to second-degree murder but has not been sentenced, according to KETV. The other two suspects, Kash Carter and Latrail Washington, remain in custody.
Synthia was described in her obituary as “an amazing young lady” who enjoyed dancing, making TikToks and family gatherings.
“This poor 15-year-old girl, I can only imagine the last moments of her life,” Deputy Douglas County Attorney Shawn Hagerty said, according to the World-Herald. “Terrified at what was happening, and then she’s gone. For absolutely no reason.”
This story was originally published December 2, 2024 at 8:44 AM with the headline "Man shoots into wrong home, killing sleeping teen, Nebraska cops say. He’s prison-bound."