Levittown 2-Year-Old Dead From Gunshot, Father Charged

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP, PA —A 2-year-old Bucks County boy died of a gunshot wound Wednesday, and police have charged his father with endangerment as the investigation continues, authorities said Thursday.

Police were continuing to investigate the death of Julius Thornton, which happened at Racquet Club Apartments and Townhomes on Veteran Highway in Middletown Township. Julius would have turned 3 years old on Christmas Eve, according to Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub.

According to the DA's office, police were called to the apartments at 8:49 p.m. Wednesday after a 911 caller said a child there had fallen and hurt himself.

There, they found Jorddan M. Thornton, 27, of Philadelphia, standing outside and holding a young boy with a bleeding head wound. A responding officer believed, due to his military background, that the child was suffering from a gunshot wound, according to a police affidavit.

Thornton told police he had been watching television with his son and fell asleep. He also said the boy had been jumping on a bed and that he may have hit his head on a headboard, according to the affidavit.

He also told officers that there were guns in the apartment, the affidavit said, but that they were all put away in drawers.

Julius was taken to St. Mary Medical Center, where he was declared dead a short time later. Police say a doctor there also said the injury was consistent with a gunshot wound to the head.

Weintraub said investigators were continuing to work the case, trying to figure out exactly what happened in that apartment on Wednesday night.

"I think that, at best, this is a case of essentially dereliction of duty, where perhaps little Julius was able to inflict this wound on himself," Weintraub said. "It gets progressively worse after that. The potential is that his father accidentally shot him, and then it gets worse than that.

"All potentialities are still on the table, where this could have been a malicious or intentional infliction. We just don't know."

On Thursday, Thornton is held on 10 percent of $500,000 bail, after being arraigned in Bucks County Magisterial Court on a charge of endangerment of a child. According to court documents, Thornton was arrested late Wednesday by the Middletown Township Police Department.

Bucks County Detectives and investigators from Middletown Township Police remained at the apartments for much of the day Thursday.

6abc reported that it was Thornton who called 911 and told officers his son had fallen and hit his head. A neighbor told investigators she heard a sound like a gunshot and Thornton saying, "I'm sorry," the station reported.