GBI Investigates Teen’s Death Outside an Apartment Complex in Bloomingdale

UPDATE: The GBI has arrested and charged Franklin Leonard James Jr., age 16, of Savannah, GA, 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. James was booked into the Savannah Regional Youth Detention Center (RYDC) and is being charged as an adult.

Original Post:

BLOOMINGDALE, Ga. – The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the death of 17-year-old Antonio Thornton Jr. of Loganville, Georgia.

According to authorities, Bloomingdale police discovered Thornton with a gunshot wound on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at approximately 7:43 a.m. after a 911 call reported a body outside the Magnolia Lane Apartments on U.S. Highway 80. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thornton’s body has been taken to the GBI Crime Lab in Pooler for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

The investigation remains 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.