Authorities in Pennsylvania are planning to pursue the death penalty for Andre Gordon Jr., who is facing charges of killing his stepmother, sister, and the mother of his children. Gordon allegedly fled to New Jersey after the killings where he was arrested. In his first court appearance, Gordon responded by saying, “Pray, pray to God,” when asked if he had anything to say. During the preliminary arraignment, the judge denied bail and ordered Gordon not to contact his minor children and other relatives who were witnesses to the crimes he is charged with.
Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn made the decision to seek capital punishment due to the severity of the crimes committed, including multiple killings and the grave risk posed to others. Gordon is facing three counts of first-degree murder and other charges related to the carjackings he allegedly carried out after the killings. Gordon, who is 26 years old, waived an extradition hearing in New Jersey and was transferred to officials in Bucks County. The killings took place in Levittown, Pennsylvania, where Gordon shot his stepmother, sister, and the mother of his children, while also injuring his children’s grandmother.
The victims of the shootings included Gordon’s 52-year-old stepmother, Karen Gordon, his 13-year-old sister, Kera Gordon, and 25-year-old Taylor Daniel, the mother of his two children. Authorities have said that Gordon’s children were present when their mother was shot. The crime spree also included carjackings in Trenton, New Jersey, leading to a massive manhunt for Gordon. He was eventually arrested, unarmed, while walking down a street a few blocks away from the location where authorities believed he was hiding. The violence caused a St. Patrick’s Day parade to be canceled and multiple businesses to close, with residents being ordered to shelter-in-place for several hours.
It is unclear what the motive was behind the attacks that Gordon allegedly carried out. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has stated that he will not allow any executions to take place while he is in office, expressing a desire for the legislature to work towards abolishing the death penalty. Pennsylvania has not had an execution since 1999, but authorities are pushing for capital punishment in this case due to the severity of the crimes committed by Gordon. The case will continue to unfold as more details are revealed about the events surrounding the killings in Levittown, Pennsylvania.
