Arrest made in shooting death of Gwinnett teen Antonio Thornton Jr.
Antonio Thornton, 17, is remembered by his mother as her "best friend" after he was killed while visiting family in Savannah. (FOX 5 Atlanta obtained permission from the rights holder)
CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. - A teenager has been charged with killing a Gwinnett County teen while visiting family in Savannah, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
What we know:
The GBI said Franklin Leonard James Jr., 16, of Savannah, has been charged as an adult in the death of Antonio Thornton Jr. earlier this month.
James faces charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and armed robbery. He is also charged with possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18.
The backstory:
FOX 5’s Larry Spruill spoke with Thornton’s mother, Tyesha Abdullah, about the loss of her son.
Abdullah said her son was 17 and was set to graduate from Archer High School in May. Instead, he was killed while in Savannah visiting family for the holidays.
Police have not released what led to the murder or how they connected James to the crime.
What's next:
Following his arrest, James was booked into the Savannah Regional Youth Detention Center. Authorities confirmed the teenager will be prosecuted as an adult but have not moved him to the adult jail.
The Source: Information in this article came from a release sent to FOX 5 by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and past reporting by FOX 5, which is linked above.