LORAIN — An Elyria man accused of gunning down two teenagers inside a Lorain short-term rental this summer pleaded not guilty Thursday as the case moves toward trial.
Alexander Gibbons appeared in court for arraignment Oct. 8 and entered a not-guilty plea to charges stemming from the shooting deaths of Silas Henry III, 17, and Marc Taylor, 18. The judge continued his previously set $500,000 bond, and a pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 14 at 8:30 a.m.
The shooting happened just before 3 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, in the 700 block of Washington Avenue, where police say the home was operating as a short-term rental. Both teenagers died from gunshot wounds at the scene.
The case drew community anger in the weeks that followed, with one victim’s mother publicly demanding answers about the unregistered rental and the police response that night. Investigators have not said what led to the gunfire.
Gibbons’ next court date could set a timeline for one of the most closely watched criminal cases in Lorain County this year. NewsForce247 will continue following the case as it moves through the courts.