A 43-year-old New York man, David Huff, has been charged with the murder of both his son, Jeremiah Huff, 11, and his girlfriend, Yeraldith Tschudy, 32. Heartbreakingly, Jeremiah, after he was allegedly shot by his father, called his mother. He eventually died before she could even get to their home.
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According to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE, local police arrived at 128 Roney Rd. in Syracuse, New York on March 17, at around 9:34 p.m. Inside the apartment, they found the bodies of Jeremiah and Yeraldith. They had died of gunshot wounds, allegedly fried from a shotgun by Huff.
A day later, police arrested David Huff. They charged him with one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and one count of criminal possession of a weapon. He was found following a manhunt, only two miles away from his house. He is currently being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail.
Following Huff's arraignment, Jeremiah's mother, Samantha Gallup-Peltier, spoke with the media while shedding tears. According to CNY Central, she revealed that Jeremiah had called her after allegedly being shot by his father. He was asking for help while suffering from the fatal gunshot wound that eventually caused his death.
A Tragedy
Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick addressed the child's gruesome death and his mother's tragic phone call.
"She had the unbearable tragedy of listening to her son being murdered," Fitzpatrick said. "It's one thing to get a phone call and find out your child is dead in a car accident or some other heinous act. But to be on the phone listening to your son murdered: She'll never get over that. Ever."
Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile called Jeramiah's actions heroic. "It's very heroic, but it's just so poignant to think about that in the context of how it happened," Cecilce said. "He's in this house, still with the man with a gun, his father, a loaded gun and he's trying to get help."
Samantha Gallup-Peltier talked very highly of her son, even saying that he very much loved his father.
"He loved to skateboard and he loved to fish. He loved to snuggle on the couch and have a cup of coffee in the morning," Gallup-Peltier said. "He's got friends and school that won't forget him, he's got a whole group of people here that won't forget him. Please don't stop saying his name, it's Jeremiah, Jeremiah Huff. We will miss him every day. My life is empty."
A GoFundMe campaign was set up in the name of Samantha by her loved ones. They have raised close to $40,000 to cover expenses and support her in this very difficult time.
"We are friends and colleagues of Samantha Gallups, who tragically lost her son, Jeremiah (Jer), in an unthinkable act of violence," the GoFundMe reads. "During this heartbreaking time, the family is facing unexpected expenses, and we want to come together to support them."
