Arlington police have made an arrest in the double-fatal, triple-shooting that took place Wednesday afternoon where a teenager is now accused of capital murder for killing his cousin and another man after he says they attacked him and his family at his home.
Police officials said detectives charged 17-year-old Lorenzo Armstrong Jr. with capital murder of multiple persons as well as aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the shootings.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by NBC 5, Armstrong Jr. told police in an interview Wednesday that he was at his family's home on the 900 block of Tennessee Court when he heard a knock at the door at about noon. He said when he opened the door he was immediately punched in the face by his cousin.
Armstrong Jr's father, Lorenzo Armstrong Sr. also told police his nephew came to his house, along with two other men, looking to fight his other nephew. Armstrong Sr. said his nephew was apparently upset the other nephew sent a social media friend request to his girlfriend.
Armstrong Sr. said he tried to reason with his upset nephew but was assaulted while trying to stop the fight. The other nephew, who also came outside and was involved in the fight, was beaten up, police said.
During the melee, Armstrong Jr. said he saw his dad get jumped while trying to talk with his cousin and that he saw another person he didn't know point a gun at his father. He said his father pushed that person causing the gun to be dropped.
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In the affidavit, Armstrong Jr. admitted to police he picked up the weapon and fired it multiple times, striking his cousin and another man, both of whom died. The person who dropped the gun was shot in the leg while trying to run away, but Armstrong Jr. denied shooting him.
According to witnesses, Lorenzo Jr. chased the other man, stopped and shot in his direction.
Officers arrived at the home a few minutes later to find two people in an alleyway with apparent gunshot wounds. The full names of the two men killed and the third who was injured have not yet been released by officials.
Armstrong was detained at the scene by police officers and later talked with detectives after being read his rights.
“We are thankful for the quick response by patrol officers and detectives to bring this horrible incident to a quick resolution,” said Interim Police Chief Kevin Kolbye. “We continue to work on this case and encourage anyone with additional information to come forward.”
Armstrong is currently being held in the Tarrant County Jail and faces two charges of capital murder and one charge of aggravated assault. Armstrong has no known criminal history. It's not clear if he's obtained an attorney.
Capital murder charges in Texas carry either an automatic sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Which sentence is sought is determined by prosecutors prior to the start of the trial.
