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