Crime
15-Year-Old Racine County Teen Charged with First-Degree Homicide After Admitting to Killing His Mother
A 15-year-old boy from Racine County, Wisconsin, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide after allegedly stabbing his mother to death, claiming he was inspired by the infamous Menendez brothers, according to prosecutors.
Reed R. Gelinskey was formally charged Thursday by the Racine County District Attorney’s Office following the brutal killing, which occurred Tuesday night at his family home in the 10000 block of White Manor Court in Caledonia.
Law enforcement officers arrived at the residence around 10:30 p.m. in response to a report of a homicide.
As officers approached, Gelinskey allegedly dropped a knife in front of them and immediately confessed to the killing, stating:
“She is dead… She is dead from what I did.”
According to court documents, Gelinskey also pleaded with officers to kill him at the scene.
The victim, identified as Suzann Glinskey, was later pronounced dead.
During an interview with investigators, Gelinskey reportedly admitted that he had been planning to kill both of his parents. He described feeling overwhelmed with depression and an “urge” to commit the crime upon returning home from school that day.
As detailed in the complaint, Gelinskey had been consuming his brother’s anxiety medication for a month.
On the night of the attack, he allegedly took nine pills, claiming they did not alleviate his anxiety but instead made him feel high.
While watching a Netflix documentary about Lyle and Erik Menendez, the famed brothers convicted of murdering their parents in Beverly Hills in 1989, Gelinskey told detectives that he became particularly fixated on the dramatized shotgun scene depicting the killings. He allegedly decided at that moment to follow through with his own plan.
Court records state that Gelinskey initially planned to kill his father but struggled to find a hammer large enough for the attack.
After dinner, while his mother sat on the couch using her computer, he continued watching the Menendez documentary, further solidifying his plan.
At approximately 9:50 p.m., Gelinskey’s mother went upstairs, prompting him to hide his sleeping medication before retrieving a steak knife, which he concealed in his pocket.
He also allegedly hid a dumbbell bar inside the sleeve of his sweatshirt.
When his mother came back downstairs to help him search for the missing medication, Gelinskey allegedly waited until her back was turned before striking her twice in the head with the dumbbell bar.
He later admitted to investigators that he expected her to collapse, but when she didn’t, he threw her to the ground and grabbed the knife.
According to the complaint, his mother fought back, attempting to kick him away, but he ultimately stabbed her three times in the chest and twice in the neck. Before she succumbed to her injuries, she reportedly asked him “Why?”, to which he responded, “Pain.”
Following the attack, Gelinskey allegedly contacted a friend via Snapchat and asked her to call the police.
He remained at the scene, waiting inside the home until he heard approaching sirens. Once emergency responders arrived, he walked outside and was immediately taken into custody.
During his first court appearance on Thursday, bail was set at $1 million. If convicted, Gelinskey faces a mandatory life sentence.
Crime
16-year-old Khyon Smith-Tate found shot to death inside Chipotle bathroom on edge of Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot inside the bathroom of a Chipotle restaurant near Temple University’s campus in North Philadelphia on Monday afternoon, police said, as students and staff returned for the first day of the Spring 2026 semester.
The shooting occurred at approximately 5:00 p.m. inside the Chipotle located in the 1100 block of West Montgomery Avenue, on the ground floor of The View at Montgomery apartment complex. The building is situated near Temple University’s Student Center and TECH Center.
Police later identified the victim as Khyon Smith-Tate, a North Philadelphia resident. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said Smith-Tate was found with a gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.
Temple University President John Fry and Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police Jennifer Griffin issued a joint statement following the incident:
“The loss of life to gun violence is a profound tragedy, and there are no words that can make sense of it. Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones.”
According to investigators, Smith-Tate and another minor entered the restaurant and requested access to the restroom. Chief Inspector Small said the shooting is believed to have occurred inside the bathroom.
Moments later, employees discovered Smith-Tate suffering from a gunshot wound. Police recovered one spent shell casing from a semiautomatic weapon inside the restroom.
Although the victim’s last known address was approximately eight blocks from the scene, authorities have not indicated what brought him to the location or what led to the shooting.
At the time of the incident, the restaurant was crowded, and multiple individuals inside the business were detained briefly for questioning. However, police said they have not yet obtained any statements from witnesses who reported hearing a gunshot.
A person of interest was taken into custody several blocks from the scene shortly after the shooting, but Chief Inspector Small said that individual’s involvement remains unclear.
As of Tuesday, police confirmed that no arrests have been made and no motive has been established.
Investigators believe Smith-Tate entered the restroom with another minor, though the whereabouts of that individual remain unknown.
Police are also seeking information about three possible suspects, described as teenagers carrying backpacks.
Chief Inspector Small noted that the area is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras, which detectives are reviewing as part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.