Death occurred in Bloomingdale, Chatham County, GA
Update: The GBI announced that it has arrested and charged Franklin Leonard James Jr., age 16, of Savannah, GA, in the case of the shooting death of Antonio Thornton,Jr.,17, of Loganville. James is charged with Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery, Possession of Firearm During Commission of a Felony, Possession of Firearm During Commission of a Felony, and Possession of Firearm by a Person Under the Age of 18. He has been booked into the Savannah Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC) and is being charged as an adult.
Initial story:
Bloomingdale, GA (Dec. 15, 2025 – At the request of the Bloomingdale Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents are investigating the death of Antonio Thornton Jr., age 17, of Loganville, Georgia.
According to a press release from the GBI, the investigation shows that at about 7:43 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2025, Chatham County 911 received a call reporting a body outside of the apartment complex at Magnolia Lane Apartments on US Hwy. 80 in Bloomingdale, Chatham County, Georgia. The Bloomingdale Police Department arrived on scene and discovered Thornton with a gunshot wound. Thornton was pronounced dead at the scene.
The body of Thornton will be taken to the GBI Crime Lab in Pooler, Georgia, for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
This case is active and ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Bloomingdale Police Department at 912-748-8302 or the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Statesboro at 912-871-1121. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
Once the investigation is complete, the case file will be given to the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
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