UPDATE 2-21-2020 5:30 p.m.: According to Sergeant Kristi Bennett with the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, as the investigation into the Thursday shooting death of 18-year-old Abbigale Thacker continued through the day, it was decided to reduce charges against Kayden May from second degree murder to manslaughter.
Sergeant Bennett said that several factors are taken into consideration when charging someone with a particular crime and after detectives conducted interviews with several individuals and consulted with the Prosecuting Attorney's Office, it was determined that manslaughter was a more appropriate charge for May given the circumstances of the shooting death of Abbigale Thacker.
In a statement,Sergeant Bennett said, "The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department expresses our condolences to all affected by this tragedy. We pray for peace and healing in the days to come."
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Original Report:::
Reported careless play with a firearm Thursday devastated two families, taking the life of a teenage girl and landing her boyfriend in jail for her death.
According to Sergeant Kristi Bennett of the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, officers were dispatched to the 200 block of South Mosley Road in Texarkana at around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 21 for an accidental shooting. Officers located 18-year-old Abbigale Thacker, of Texarkana, dead at the residence from a single gunshot wound.
According to Sergeant Bennett, the Texarkana Arkansas Criminal Investigation Division determined that Abbigale’s boyfriend, Kayden May, 18, of Texarkana, was engaged in "horseplay" with the firearm when he allegedly shot and killed Abbigale.
May was arrested and charged with murder in the second degree.
According to Arkansas Law, a person commits Second Degree Murder if:
1)The person knowingly causes the death of another person under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life; or
2) With the purpose of causing serious physical injury to another person, the person causes the death of any person.