Virginia Teen, 17, Arrested and Charged with Murder of His Mother and 6-Year-Old Brother
A manhunt for a 17-year-old Virginia teenager suspected in the killings of his mother and 6-year-old brother has ended with his arrest, the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office confirms.
On Saturday evening, at around 4 p.m. local time, Levi Norwood from Fauquier County, Virginia, was apprehended in North Carolina, Sheriff Robert P. Mosier said in a press conference Sunday.
The suspect was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of his 34-year-old mother, Jennifer Norwood, and his young brother, Wyatt Norwood — who allegedly suffered gunshot wounds in their upper bodies, Mosier said.
Authorities did not say where in North Carolina Levi was arrested, just that the Liberty High School student was taken into custody after an employee at a North Carolina Target reportedly called police about a shoplifter, who was later identified as Norwood.
He was arrested by the Durham Police Department, Mosier said.
The manhunt was announced Friday evening, after the suspect’s father, Joshua Norwood, came home at around 6 p.m. local time to find his wife and son dead from gunshot wounds, The Washington Post reported.
According to authorities, Levi allegedly shot and wounded his father with a pistol. Despite his injuries, Joshua was able to escape, call for help and was later hospitalized. Mosier told The Post he is in stable condition.
Initially, police believed the suspect had barricaded himself in the home where the murder occurred, on the 12800 block of Elk Run Road. However, once authorities arrived at the scene, he was gone.
They later learned that the teenager had stolen a red 2007 Toyota Camry from another Fauquier resident, Mosier said in the Sunday press conference. The car was found in the parking lot at the scene of the arrest.
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Wyatt was a first-grader at Mary Walter Elementary School Fauquier, according to superintendent David Jeck who told The Post they are preparing counselors to help students and staff with the tragedy.
“This kind of tragedy is obviously not something that Fauquier County is accustomed to,” Jeck said. “It’s a really, really horrible situation.”
Frank Finn, the Assistant Superintendent, told reporters Sunday that the school was unable to disclose if the suspect had indicated any sort of disciplinary or behavioral problems prior to the incident.
Norwood is currently being held in North Carolina, attorney Scott Hook told reporters on Sunday. An extradition hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18.
