Police: Man accused of killing two people at a Thibodaux party booked into Lafourche jail

A Baton Rouge man suspected of killing two people at a party Friday night in Thibodaux was booked into the Lafourche Parish jail Monday afternoon, authorities said.

Terrione Rondell Thomas, 26, is charged with two counts of second-degree murder. He is accused of fatally shooting 47-year-old Alvin Turner and 70-year-old Linda M. Johnson Friday night at an event hall in the 900 block of St. Charles Street.

The killings marked the first homicides in Thibodaux this year.

“Any time lives are taken through a senseless act, it is a very tragic day for our community,” Thibodaux Police Chief Bryan Zeringue said. “We as law enforcers take matters such as this very serious and will continue to do our part to see that justice is served. We cannot express how important it is for the community to cooperate and come forward with information that may assist us in any and all investigations.”

Related: Pair of brothers charged in shooting that killed two at Thibodaux party

The suspect’s brother, Timothy Paul Thomas, 38, of Gray, is charged as accessory after the fact and was taken into custody Saturday.

Terrione Thomas had gotten into an argument with Turner shortly before the shots rang out, police said.

“The suspect got into an altercation with the male victim and ended up leaving the scene and later returned and opened fire,” Thibodaux Police Lt. Clint Dempster said. “We don’t have any reason to believe the elderly female was a target. It looks like she was caught in the crossfire. Once the shooting happened, he fled the area with his brother. The brother was the driver, which is why he was charged.”

Thibodaux City Marshal Calvin Cooks said he received information about Terrione Thomas’ location following an investigation.

“I made phone calls and spoke with family members and pleaded with them to help me bring him in safely,” Cooks said. “I received a call that he might be in a trailer in the Johnson Ridge area in Terrebonne, so I contacted the Thibodaux Police Department and Terrebonne Sheriff’s Office. Detectives and I did some surveillance in unmarked cars on Johnson Ridge to confirm the location.”

More: One arrested, another sought in Thibodaux shooting that left two dead

Though Terrione Thomas was not found in Johnson Ridge, a neighborhood in Schriever, Cooks said he later received a tip that the suspect was at a hospital in Baton Rouge.

“I called the hospital and confirmed he was there,” Cooks said. “From there, I contacted the Baton Rouge Police Department and faxed them the warrant. At that point, we felt like the guy was armed and dangerous. We didn’t want him hurting anybody else or himself, so it was imperative that we took him into custody.”

Baton Rouge authorities arrested Terrione Thomas on Saturday. The Thibodaux City Marshal’s Office transported Thomas Monday afternoon to the Thibodaux jail, where he was awaiting a court hearing to set bail, Cooks said.

In addition to finding the suspects, police also found misinformation being posted on social media about the shootings, Dempster said.

Dempster urged residents not to post or share unverified information on Facebook or other social media platforms.

“We had a lot of social media rumors flying around,” he said. “That’s one more battle we have to deal with. Some of those social media posts were shared thousands of times but it was false information. If you don’t get it from credible sources don’t share it. All it does is create panic in the community, and that is uncalled for.”

Zeringue vowed that justice will be sought for the victims’ families.

“It is crucial that we as law-enforcement personnel continue to work with our community partners and neighboring agencies to ensure those responsible are brought before our justice system and held accountable,” he said. “I want to thank all who came forth and assisted us in the investigation. On behalf of the Thibodaux Police Department, our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with all families involved.”

— Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at 448-7639 or at dan.copp@houmatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanVCopp.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show Alvin Turner's age to be 47.

This article originally appeared on The Courier: Man accused in Thibodaux double murder booked into Lafourche jail