John Jacob Thornton (Clay County Sheriff’s Office)
A shotgun-wielding man looking for his ex-girlfriend showed up at a Florida home uninvited, shot a man and injured a woman who told him to leave to save their friend from death. domestic violence, authorities said.
John Jacob Thornton was arrested Saturday in the shooting that killed an unidentified 23-year-old man and injured an unidentified 21-year-old woman, according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened at a residence on State Route 100 in Keystone Heights. Deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting.
Once there, deputies found a man with multiple gunshot wounds in the driveway of the house where he died.
Inside, deputies found a woman with gunshot wounds. She was taken to the hospital, and she identified the suspect, who fled, according to law enforcement.
Authorities alerted surrounding agencies, describing the suspect and the van he was driving.
Deputies spotted the suspect’s truck heading to another county and took him into custody, they said.
The victims had sometimes allowed a friend to stay with them. This friend has been estranged from her boyfriend, Thornton, due to domestic abuse, MPs have said.
Thornton was being held in Clay County Jail. He faces second degree murder and attempted second degree murder.
“I would like to extend my condolences to the families of the victims, and hope that the victim who is still hospitalized makes a speedy and full recovery,” Sheriff Michelle Cook said in a statement. “The victims were trying to help a friend and unfortunately became the target of the suspect.”
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