An Arkansas adolescent is presently in custody on a first-degree killing charge similar to the fatal firing of a high school senior outside a post-prom party early Sunday.
Arkansas Teenager Arrested for Homicide
Donterious Stephens, aged 19, from Helena, submitted himself to authorities Sunday afternoon after the firing of 18-year-old Lorenzo Harrison III, as verified by a spokesperson from the Arkansas State Police.
Harrison, a senior at Helena-West Helena's Central High School, was fatally shot at a gathering off-campus, held after the school's prom.
Stephens, who previously graduated from the same school according to State Police, is being held at Phillips County jail as of Sunday, although it's uncertain if he has legal representation or when his initial court appearance will be.
The party had other attendees, but the accurate number remains hidden, and luckily, no one else was hurt in the firing. The circumstances took place after the CHS prom at an event attended by students located across the street from Ater Warehouse, located at 3235 Highway 49 in West Helena.
The deceased person will be transferred to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for an autopsy to figure out the cause and manner of passing.
Read Also : Eastern Pennsylvania Man Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter for Death of 3-Year-Old Boy
Post Prom Party Shooting in Texas
During the weekend in Texas, eleven teenagers sustained injuries in a shooting incident at a post-prom party, with authorities suggesting a potential link to a second shooting nearby within a 20-minute timeframe.
Responding to a disturbance at a residence north of Jasper just after midnight on Sunday, deputies from the Jasper County Sheriff's Office found nine individuals initially with non-life-threatening injuries, eventually discovering a total of 11 teens injured by gunfire, as stated during a news conference on Tuesday.
The victims' ages range from 15 to 19, with three still hospitalized on Tuesday, although their conditions remain undisclosed. District Attorney Anne Pickle expressed dismay at the tragic turn of events, emphasizing the unfortunate trend of shootings in the nation, particularly impacting young people.
The occurrence adds to the rise of mass shootings across America, which have been happening at an alarming rate, with 172 reported so far last 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Notably, on April 15, 2023, a Sweet 16 birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama, turned fatal, leading to the loss of four lives and wounding at least 32 others, including teenagers.
Six individuals, including four teenagers, have been arrested and face murder charges in connection with that incident, as per Alabama authorities.
Following the Texas shooting, eight victims were transported to a nearby hospital via private vehicles, while some were later transferred to a hospital in Beaumont for additional medical attention.
Although authorities have yet to figure out a motive, they are eagerly interviewing witnesses and persons of interest.
Additionally, the sheriff's office is inspecting another firing nearby, hinting at a probable relation between the two circumstances, albeit without giving further details. Jasper, situated in eastern Texas, is roughly 30 minutes west of the Texas-Louisiana border.
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