"Tragic Turn: Savannah Teen Arrested for Fatal Shooting of Loganville Teen"

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16-Year-Old Savannah Teen Arrested in Fatal Shooting of Loganville Teen

17-year-old discovered outside apartment complex with gunshot wound. GBI assisting Bloomingdale Police in active investigation

Loganville News and Events

Dec 29, 2025

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Bloomingdale, GA — December 28, 2025

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) has announced the arrest of a 16-year-old Savannah teen in connection with the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old Loganville resident earlier this month.

According to the GBI, Franklin Leonard James Jr., 16, of Savannah, has been arrested and charged in the death of Antonio Thornton Jr., 17, of Loganville. James faces multiple charges, including felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony (two counts), and possession of a firearm by a person under the age of 18.

James has been booked into the Savannah Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC) and will be charged as an adult.

Initial Investigation

The shooting occurred in Bloomingdale, located in Chatham County. At the request of the Bloomingdale Police Department, GBI agents began investigating the case following the discovery of Thornton’s body on the morning of December 14, 2025.

GBI officials stated that at approximately 7:43 a.m., Chatham County 911 received a call reporting a body outside the Magnolia Lane Apartments on U.S. Highway 80. Responding officers from the Bloomingdale Police Department located Thornton suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thornton’s body was transported to the GBI Crime Lab in Pooler for an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of death.

Ongoing Case

The investigation remains active and ongoing. Once completed, the case file will be turned over to the Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.

Anyone with information related to the case 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 may also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), submitting a tip online through the GBI website, or using the “See Something, Send Something” mobile app.