A woman and her adult daughter were found shot dead outside a home in Pompano Beach, leading detectives to arrest a man who is now facing murder charges, authorities said.
According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the 1500 block of Southwest Fifth Avenue, just after 7:20 p.m. on Thursday.
“Both victims were located outside the residence, and that’s where they were pronounced deceased,” said BSO spokesperson Gerdy St. Louis.
Friday morning, authorities identified the victims as 66-year-old Suzanne Courtade and 23-year-old Meghan Courtade.
Neighbor Douglas Newton told 7News that he has known the victims for many years, addig that Suzanne had lived in the neighborhood for at least 25 years.
“Good people, she was a good parent, two good daughters — kind, very happy, you know, all the time, always saying hi,” he said. “You’d stop, you’d say hello, they’d say hello.”
Detectives said they detained 64-year-old David Keith Thornton for questioning. They later placed him under arrest, and he is facing two counts of first-degree murder.
Newton said Thornton is the mother’s longtime boyfriend, adding that he lived at the home, while Meghan was visiting at the time of the shooting.
Newton said he is shocked by the entire incident and that the family was kind and had not had any issues in the neighborhood.
“It’s just a dead-end street, so everybody knows everyone, and everybody know everybody from one end to another, but they’re good people, never had any troubles. It’s heartbreaking, you know?” he said.
7News cameras captured flowers laid by neighbors at the spot where the bodies were found.
BSO detectives continue to investigate this shooting.
