16-year-old booked for 1st-degree murder in O’Brien St. shooting

Lake Charles, La. (KPLC) - A 16-year-old is facing a first-degree murder charge in the Feb. 18 shooting on O’Brien Street in Lake Charles.

Derrick Thornton, 43, of Lake Charles was found dead at a home in the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, according to the Lake Charles Police Department.

LCPD Detectives issued a warrant for a 16-year-old suspect on Feb. 28, Deputy Chief Franklin Fondel told us today.

KPLC reported a police presence on the corner of Goos and Mill streets, where several people appeared to be handcuffed, on the morning of Wednesday, March 1. At the time, police did not provide any information about what they were investigating.

Fondel announced today that the LCPD SWAT Team and detectives had been executing a search warrant in the area, at which time the 16-year-old suspect was taken into custody without incident.

The teen is held at the Juvenile Detention Center on one count of first-degree murder.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with any additional information is asked to contact detectives at 337-491-1311.

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