A man in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, has been charged with fatally beating a 16-year-old over loud music he was playing in a park, WPMT reported.

Blake Shearer, 16, died Friday after he was treated for head and brain injuries from the attack.

>> Read more trending news

His family announced the news in a support group for Shearer on Facebook.

ajc.com

Credit: Facebook.com

icon to expand image

Credit: Facebook.com

The community held a vigil in the Elizabethtown park to honor and remember Shearer.

David Skalla, 24, is accused of hitting Shearer four times in the face and back of the head on Monday, after confronting him at Elizabethtown Borough Park.

Shearer was hanging out with friends and playing music when Skalla approached him and asked him to turn it down, police told WHTM.

When Shearer didn’t turn down the music, Skalla allegedly hit Shearer several times, knocking him unconscious.

Prosecutors said Skalla left the park with his family after the assault.

Witnesses to the attack provided photographs to police that showed him leaving the scene. Those photos helped police track down the vehicle, owned by Skalla's girlfriend, according to WPMT.

Skalla is charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault.

He is currently behind bars due to a probation violation and will be arraigned at a later date.

GoFundMe account has been set up to help Shearer's family with funeral arrangements.

About the Author

Featured

Members of the conversion crew take a break as the main scoreboard is lowered to the floor to be worked on as the arena gets ready for the next concert at State Farm Arena, Thursday, October 2, 2025, in Atlanta. The crew was working on creating a stage for the Friday, Oct. 3 Maxwell concert. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com