A 16-year-old has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a Gwinnett County teen. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has charged Franklin Leonard James Jr., a Savannah resident, with felony murder, aggravated assault, and armed robbery, according to a report by FOX 5 Atlanta. James also faces charges for the possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18.
The victim, 17-year-old Antonio Thornton Jr., was visiting family in Savannah over the holiday period when he was killed. He was a student set to graduate from Archer High School in May, his mother told FOX 5 Atlanta. Authorities have yet to publicly disclose the events leading up to the murder or how they linked James to the crime.
James has been booked into the Savannah Regional Youth Detention Center, as confirmed by WTOC. Despite being a minor, the teen is being prosecuted as an adult, which has implications for how his case is handled, yet he has not been moved to an adult facility at this time. As a result of being charged as an adult, a mugshot of James Jr. will not be immediately available.
