‘Gave his life for a stranger’: Teen accused of killing father of 4 during fight that led to shooting

A teenager is accused of shooting and killing a father of four who stepped away from his porch to help a young woman he and a friend were following over the weekend in north Spokane.

Onyx Deligt, 16, is facing second-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old Dylan Gray and a first-degree assault charge stemming from a fight Sunday morning, one or two blocks from Rogers High School. Gray’s brother, Ian Gray, posted on Facebook that his little brother “died a hero.”

“I’m devastated by this loss, but I am comforted knowing he will be remembered in that community as a hero,” Ian Gray wrote on Facebook. “Help someone in need. Be kind to someone that has different political views than you – all of us have much more in common than what separates us. I love you Dylan Gray and life will never be the same for so many without you.”

Spokane Police Department officers responded to the 1900 block of East Wellesley Avenue after callers reported an altercation followed by gunshots, according to a police news release. Officers located two males with apparent gunshot wounds. One of the victims, identified as Dylan Gray, sustained life-threatening injuries and died at the hospital.

Court records say a young woman was walking east on Wellesley Avenue near Napa Street when two teens began whistling at her. She ignored it and continued to walk when she noticed they were following her. A man sitting on his porch at 1903 E. Wellesley Ave. shouted something at the teens and walked down to the sidewalk to confront them, according to court records.

One of the teens began physically fighting with the man, identified later as Dylan Gray. The teenager spit on him, put him in a headlock and threw a few punches.

The other teen, Deligt, stood by, pulled out a gun, and shot in the direction of the fight around six times, court records say. Both teens fled.

At the time, Dylan Gray was sitting on his porch having his morning coffee, according to Ian Gray on Facebook.

“He saw a couple of young men chasing and harassing” the young woman, the post said. “He stepped in and began fighting to save her. My brother was an amateur boxer, but the best hands are no match for a coward with a gun … He will be remembered as a kind hearted father of 4 boys. Dylan gave everything he had for those boys, and gave his life for a stranger in need.”

The two teens ran from the scene and entered a friend’s home, one of them saying he’d been shot in the hand. The friend’s brother came downstairs and recognized the uninjured teenager as Deligt, according to court records. Investigators were able to further identify Deligt through neighborhood surveillance video. Police arrested him on Wednesday.

Deligt appeared as an adult for his first appearance Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court, where Court Commissioner Jerry Scharosch set his bond at $1 million.

“This is a tragedy all around,” Scharosch said.

Deligt appeared on a jail video screen in a black shirt with a light-colored long-sleeve shirt underneath as his family, including father Anthony Deligt, watched from the courtroom.

“He’s a good kid, he’s smart and he goes to school,” Anthony Deligt told The Spokesman-Review after the court hearing.

He said his son doesn’t drink or party, calling him a “homebody.”

“I don’t think he did it, I really don’t,” Anthony Deligt said.

Scharosch prohibited news media from depicting the teen’s face in news stories after Onyx Deligt’s defense attorney made the request, citing his age and concerns of tainting a jury at trial.

A victim advocate read statements from Dylan Gray’s wife and brother. They said Dylan Gray was a father of four boys ages 7 to 17. They were deeply concerned about the safety of their family and community given the violent attack, and asked Scharosch to hold the defendant in custody without bail.

“This loss has devastated our family and his children, and they’re now growing up without their father,” Ian Gray said through the victim advocate.

Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Samantha Wright requested Scharosch impose the $1 million bond because she said Onyx Deligt was a “substantial danger” to commit a violent crime and tamper with evidence. Wright said the teen was on probation for a felony assault at the time of the shooting.

The defense did not make arguments on release conditions.

The teen is scheduled for an arraignment Tuesday.