PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Pine Bluff police arrested a man Monday night in connection to a deadly park shooting that took the life of a 16-year-old last month.
After obtaining a search warrant, police said that they found 20-year-old Will Rodgers at a home on 34th Avenue with another 23-year-old man. Police also said they found firearms during the search.
Police arrested Rodgers for his involvement in the shooting death of the teen at the Martin Luther King park. Police said that the other man was not arrested in connection to the teen’s death but for items found in his possession.
Although police have not confirmed the name of the victim, friends and family said his name is Tyler Lamar Thornton.
According to the Pine Bluff Police Department, the shooting happened during an altercation at the park. The teen was taken to a local hospital around 1:45 a.m. where he was pronounced dead.
Police said that Rodgers is accused of shooting five other people on the day of the deadly park shooting. He is facing charges of first-degree murder, five counts of first-degree battery, five counts of terroristic act and carrying a prohibited weapon.