Juvenile arrested in fatal shooting of 16-year-old boy in Raleigh on Halloween night
Raleigh police have arrested a juvenile in the fatal shooting of 16-year-old Xzavion Lawton, a student at Millbrook High School, on Halloween night.
Police have not named the suspect because he is under 18 but say he was taken into custody after a secure custody order was issued, according to a news release. They also did not say how old he is.
Lawton was an 11th-grader at the high school and was shot in north Raleigh on Monday night while trick-or-treating, according to a statement that Principal Brian Saunders sent to the school’s families.
He died from his injuries that night.
“Boonchie never had no enemies. So he was a person that made friends easily,” his grandmother Consuela Perry told ABC11, The News & Observer’s media partner. “Boonchie” was his nickname.
Lawton was one of three teens shot in the 2700 block of Sumner Boulevard, off Old Wake Forest Road. One of the other teens suffered serious injuries, while the third had non-life threatening wounds, police say.
Officers responded to the scene about 9:13 p.m. The three victims were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.
On Tuesday, Saunders released a statement to parents with information for resources for grief counseling.
“Please keep him and all of those that have been impacted by this loss in your hearts and prayers,” Saunders said. “We want to honor Xzavion’s family and be respectful of their needs of privacy at this time.”
Possible adult charges
After 2019, state law was changed to prevent 16 and 17-year-old suspects from being automatically charged as adults in North Carolina.
The law also protects their names and other identifying information from being released if they’re under 18.
Instead, all cases involving suspects under 18 begin in juvenile court, where a decision is made to either keep the case there or transfer it to Superior Court and try the child through the adult criminal process.
On Thursday, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said she has not decided whether to try the suspect in the Monday shooting as an adult since the case is still being investigated.
Police have not released additional information about the shooting, including the ages of those shot and a possible motive.
One person involved was able to call police from the River Birch at Town Center Apartments on Torquay Crossing, reported ABC11.
Anyone with information is asked to visit Crimestoppers at www.p3tips.com/897 for text and email reporting options or call 919-996-1193.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published November 1, 2022 at 8:29 AM with the headline "Juvenile arrested in fatal shooting of 16-year-old boy in Raleigh on Halloween night."