Limestone Sheriff's Office: Son of shooting victim charged with murder

Mar. 30—The 28-year-old son of a Piney Chapel man who was fatally shot has been charged with murder, according to the Limestone County Sheriff's Office.

The office said its investigators found David Thornton, 51, dead from a gunshot wound to the chest and head after being notified about 3 a.m. Monday of the shooting in the 22000 block of New Garden Road in the Piney Chapel community, north of Athens.

Thornton's son, Daniel Thornton told investigators he was alone in the residence with his father and in the bathroom, about 10 feet away from his father, when he heard gunshots, the Sheriff's Office said. Daniel Thornton said that when he left the bathroom, he discovered that his father had been shot and called one of his father's friends to the residence, according to authorities. When the father's friend arrived, the sheriff's office was contacted.

During the investigation, it was discovered that the father and son were involved in a physical altercation several hours before the shooting, in which Daniel Thornton struck his father several times.

Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Michelle Williamson said that Daniel Thornton was booked into the Limestone County Jail at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, and no bail had been set as of Tuesday afternoon.

Court records show Daniel Thornton's address is 2501 15th St. S.W., Huntsville.

— marian.accardi@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2438. Twitter @DD_MAccardi.