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Harrisburg police investigated the Dec. 30 shooting that killed Claywaun Bender, 17, in the first block of South 17th Street. It was one of three shootings in the region that night.

(Steve Marroni/PennLive)

HARRISBURG- Harrisburg police have charged an 18-year-old man in connection with the shooting death of his friend in late December.

Jonmere Pryor, charged with homicide

Police on Thursday confirmed the Dec. 30 death of Claywaun Bender, 17, in a boarding house in the first block of South 17th Street was a homicide. Prior to Thursday, police would not release the victim's name or say whether the shooting death was a homicide, suicide or accident.

The day after the shooting death, police charged Jonmere A. Pryor with tampering with a physical evidence, carrying a firearm without a license and felony possession with intent to deliver illegal drugs. On Thursday, police added a criminal homicide charge.

Police said Pryor and Bender were friends and were together in Pryor's basement apartment when the shooting occurred. An upstairs neighbor called police upon hearing the gunfire.

Officers found two guns in Pryor's home.

Police aren't sure exactly what transpired because they have received several different versions of the shooting. Further complicating things, police allege Pryor tampered with evidence at the scene, which made it harder to corroborate any of the versions. Police declined to provide any details about what was tampered with or what the teens were doing prior to the shooting.

"The only thing we can say is that he (Pryor) was there. He had a part in it and the other guy is dead," said Police Capt. Gabriel Olivera.

No one else was believed to be in the apartment at the time, Olivera said. The apartment unit was in a boarding house, where the basement acted as Pryor's personal space and other tenants had rooms upstairs.

Claywaun Bender, homicide victim

Pryor remained in jail Thursday with no bond. He originally had a $100,000 bond after the initial charges were filed Dec. 31.

Bender's obituary said he was a high school student who loved to watch football and basketball and spend time with his friends and cousins. He left behind his parents and four siblings. His funeral service was Thursday morning, Jan. 7.

Bender's death marked the 19th and final homicide for 2015.

Of those killings, two have been ruled self-defense and two are still being reviewed by the district attorney, Olivera said.

In 2014, Harrisburg also logged 19 homicides, Olivera said.