15-year-old accused of murdering brother after fight over a girl



WILLIAMSTOWN, Pennsylvania -- A Pennsylvania teen has been charged with first-degree murder after police say he fatally shot his 18-year-old brother over a dispute about a girl, WPMT reports.

Officials say this is a unique case because of the shooter's age, and the motive.

15-year-old Dakota Thornton is in jail for allegedly shooting his 18-year-old brother, Dominick with a shotgun over his brother's girlfriend.

"The brothers were having a dispute over a young lady. Both of them apparently were romantically interested in this young girl and that's what lead ultimately to the killing," Dauphin County District Attorney Ed Marsico said.

One neighbor said Dakota Thornton was playing basketball with her son just before the alleged murder. She couldn't believe the news that Thornton was behind bars.

"I know all of them. I just wouldn't imagine Dakota doing something like that," Nicole Davis said.

The shooting happened around 2:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 30th.

When police confronted Dakota Thornton, he put his hands up and said, "I shot my brother," according to court documents. The coroner arrived and pronounced Dominick Thornton dead at the scene.

"It's certainly unusual to have a case where a brother shoots and kills his brother -- especially the ages of these individuals," Marsico said.

All homicides in Dauphin County, PA are handled in the adult court system. Dakota faces charges of first degree murder and possession of a weapon.

"This particular family, you have one  brother who is dead and the other who is facing a long time in prison for killing his older brother so, it's a tragic event and one that was entirely preventable," Marsico said.