19-year-old on trial for shooting death of 2 high school classmates

Jury deliberates fate of teen accused of killing classmates

Zachary Burkard, a Virginia teenager accused of murdering two local high school students, took the stand this week in Fairfax County to plead that he did it in self defense. His fate is now in the hands of a jury. FOX 5's Sierra Fox reports.

A Virginia teenager accused of murdering two local high school students took the stand this week in Fairfax County. His fate is now in the hands of a jury.

Zachary Burkard, 19, is accused of shooting and killing two of his classmates last year. In court, he says he did it in self-defense and didn't mean to hurt anyone.

Zachary Burkard, 19

A Fairfax County judge has granted FOX 5 permission to obtain police body camera footage showing the moment Burkard was arrested.

On April 25, 2021, Burkard says four teenagers but up his friend, so he shot at them.

Police responded to a home on Winding Way Court in Springfield around 3 p.m. that same day. They found 17-year-old Ersheen Elaiaiser in the garage with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and 16-year-old Calvin Van Pelt shot with a bullet in the back laying in front of the home.

Burkard claims he thought he fired between the two other teens who were rushing toward him. The weapon used was a ghost gun that he put together himself.

The Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office says the jurors could have a verdict by Thursday night.