DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — What was supposed to be an ordinary December night turned into every parent’s worst nightmare for Harrisburg mother Marilyn McFadden. Five days before Christmas in 2023, she learned that her 18-year-old son, Amari McFadden, had been found shot to death in a dark alley — a tragedy that would change her life forever.
Amari was discovered around 3 a.m. on December 20th in Ella Alley with seven gunshot wounds to his body. The news was delivered to McFadden by Detective Michael Rudy with the Harrisburg police, whose visit was captured on the family’s Ring camera. His words — “He’s gone” — marked the moment Marilyn’s world fell apart.
Moments after the footage cut, the mother suffered a medical emergency. She later explained that she collapsed on her living room floor and remained there overnight until Susquehanna Township police broke into the home to reach her. She was rushed to Harrisburg Hospital, where doctors determined she had suffered a stroke. She spent three days in the ICU…