Fairfax County Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Shooting Deaths Of Teens

SPRINGFIELD, VA — A Fairfax County judge on Thursday sentenced a 20-year-old man, who was convicted in the shooting deaths of two high school classmates at a home in Springfield, to 20 years in prison, the maximum sentence, according to the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.

Zachary Burkard was sentenced to 10 years for each voluntary manslaughter charge in the deaths of 17-year-old Ersheen Elaiaiser and 16-year-old Calvin Van Pelt. Once he gets out of prison, Burkard will have an additional three years of supervision.

Burkard, who was 18 at the time of the killings, was found guilty of manslaughter but not guilty of murder in August for Elaiaiser’s and Van Pelt’s deaths. The jury recommended last August that Burkard receive 20 years, the maximum possible penalty.

“This is not justice,” Elaiaiser’s father said after the jury's sentencing recommendation, NBC4 reported.

In the afternoon of Sunday, April 25, 2021, Fairfax County Police responded to the 8000 block of Winding Way Court in Springfield. Officers found one of the youths in the home's garage with upper body gunshot wounds. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but the boy was pronounced dead by rescue personnel.

Another youth was found in front of a home with an upper body gunshot wound. The boy was taken to the hospital, where he later died of his injuries.

During the trial, Burkard said he was at a friend's house in Springfield when he heard that Elaiaiser was headed to the house with three other teens.

When the four teens arrived, a fist fight broke out. During the fight, police said Burkard shot Elaiaiser and Van Pelt, who had arrived at the home. Burkard remained on the scene after the shootings and was taken into custody.

Burkard testified at his trial in August that he opened fire on the two South County High School students because four teens had just beat up his friend and he was afraid they were all armed. He said he fired in self-defense, NBC4 reported Thursday.

At his trial, Burkard admitted he had been dealing drugs. The jury was also shown threats made by Burkard, including the use of a racial epithet, in a Snapchat video the day before the shootings. In the video, Burkard was waving a gun outside a house he thought was the home of one of the teens, WUSA9 reported.

Burkard used a ghost gun he made after purchasing parts for the weapon to shoot and kill Elaiaiser and Van Pelt, according to the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney's office. The handgun was capable of firing in fully automatic mode, the office said.

“This is a tragic case in which there are no winners,” Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in a statement Thursday. “I hope that with the case finally over, and Burkard receiving the maximum sentence, the victims’ families and friends can begin the process of healing.”

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