Father Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter For December Shooting Death Of Son

The father of 2-year-old Julius Thornton was charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child Tuesday afternoon.

Jorddan Marquise Thornton, 27, of Philadelphia, was arraigned around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday by District Judge Daniel Baranoski. He was jailed on 10 percent of $75,000.

On December 3, Thornton was charged with a single count of endangering the welfare of a child in relation to the boy’s death, and he was released after posting 10 percent of $75,000 bail last Monday. The endangering the welfare of a child charge filed last month was withdraw Tuesday in light of the new case.

In the affidavit of probable cause filed Tuesday, investigators said Thornton was to blame for little Julius getting access to a loaded Glock handgun around 8:50 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2 at the D building in the Racquet Club Apartments off Veterans Highway in Middletown Township.

Thornton, according to police, was the sole caretaker of Julius at the time of the shooting, which authorities said was self-inflicted by the boy.

Police were called to the Racquet Club Apartments after a 9-1-1 call for a report that a boy had fallen and cracked his skull, court papers stated.

A Middletown Township officer who responded, a military veteran, came to the aid of Julius who was being held by Thornton. He quickly noted the boy’s bleeding head wound that was consistent with a gunshot injury, police said.

Julius was rushed by ambulance St. Mary Medical Center and pronounced dead at 9:36 p.m., police said.

The doctors at the hospital and a later autopsy all determined Julius suffered a fatal and devastating gunshot wound to the head, according to court papers.

While speaking with investigators, Thornton said he was watching Netflix and his son, who was born on Christmas Eve 2017, fell asleep. The boy then was jumping on the bed and the father suspected he struck himself on the headboard, police said.

The 27-year-old man also told police there were guns in the apartment and they were stored in drawers, authorities said.

A neighbor told police she heard a loud bang that sounded like a gunshot come from the apartment. About two minutes later, she heard a man screaming for help and saw Thornton holding the injured child in a towel saying “I’m sorry.”

The neighbor tried to aid the boy, but she observed his serious head injuries, police said.

In the court papers filed Tuesday, detectives noted that a loaded Glock handgun was found in the bedroom on the floor near the foot of the bed. They also found a nearby dresser drawer open.

Investigators reportedly located a hole in the ceiling of the bedroom that was consistent with a bullet fired from a gun.

The Glock was registered to Thornton, police said.

“Julius loved to jump and run around. He enjoyed life, and was extremely affectionate. His favorite characters were Mickey Mouse and Oscar the Grouch. Julius also loved animals, and one of his favorite adventures was going to the zoo,” according to Julius’s obituary, which shows videos of the boy having fun with his parents.

After the accidental shooting death of a boy in Upper Bucks County, the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office, many municipal police departments, and Bucks County Children and Youth protective services workers began offering free gun locks for homes where there are unsecured guns.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.

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