A Syracuse man accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend and 11-year-old son this week has been arrested and charged with murder.
David Huff, 43, was arrested early Tuesday morning not far from the alleged crime scene thanks to a tip from a concerned citizen, according to Syracuse police. Authorities had asked for the public’s help in locating the suspect in the double homicide that occurred on the 100 block of Roney Road late Monday night.
Officers responded to the area just after 9:30 p.m. for reports of a shooting with injuries. When investigators arrived, they found a woman and a child with apparent gunshot wounds. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office later identified the victims as Huff’s 32-year-old girlfriend, Yeraldith Tschudy of upstate Rochester, and his sixth-grade son, Jeremiah Huff, CNY Central reported.
Following a nightlong search, Huff was taken into custody in the Town of Onondaga around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday on murder and weapon charges. Police did not give details on the tip that led to his arrest.
Huff pleaded not guilty to the murders at his arraignment in Syracuse City Court on Wednesday. Before he was removed from the courtroom, dozens of people began yelling curses at him, Syracuse.com reported.
“You killed your baby!” screamed Jeremiah’s mother, Samantha Gallup Peltier.
At a news conference following the arraignment, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick told reporters that Huff didn’t have an extensive criminal history, except for “a very minor charge from several years ago — not related, as far as we know, to domestic violence.”
Huff, who allegedly used a shotgun to kill the victims, is also accused of pointing the gun at his father and pulling the trigger. The gun didn’t discharge, however, and it’s unclear if it malfunctioned or ran out of ammunition.
All three adults and the child lived at the Roney Road residence, officials said.
A motive for the shooting is unclear, according to Fitzpatrick, who said Huff may argue a “mental defense” in court.
Huff is being held without bail at the Onondaga County Justice Center. He’s due back in court Friday morning.