Suzanne Courtade, 66, and her 23-year-old daughter, Meghan Courtade, were shot and killed outside a home in Pompano Beach, Florida, on Thursday night. The two women were found with gunshot wounds after deputies rushed to the scene following reports of gunfire. A man initially detained for questioning has since been arrested and charged with their murders.
The shooting happened at approximately 8 p.m. on November 12, near an apartment complex in the 1500 block of Southwest Fifth Avenue. Deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office responded after receiving reports of gunfire in the neighborhood.
When officers arrived, they found Suzanne and Meghan outside a home, both suffering from gunshot wounds. Pompano Beach Fire Rescue crews also responded to the scene, but there was nothing they could do. Both women were pronounced dead at the location.
The investigation quickly led authorities to a man who was initially detained for questioning. Detectives worked to establish what had happened and whether he was connected to the deadly shooting.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office later identified the man as David Keith Thornton. He was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Suzanne and Meghan.
What led to the shooting remains unclear. Investigators have not released details about what happened before the gunfire or what might have prompted the attack. They have also not announced a possible motive.
For people living nearby, the violence came as a shock. Neighbors told CBS Miami that they heard several popping sounds around the time the shooting happened. Some initially thought the noises were fireworks.
One neighbor, identified only as Sherry, said she and others were inside getting ready for the football game when they heard the sounds. “We were sitting inside getting ready for the football game and just heard a couple of pops,” she told the station. She said police and sheriff’s deputies arrived within seconds.
Sherry also described the area as a generally quiet neighborhood. She said she had lived there for 20 years and was shocked by what happened so close to home. The sudden violence left residents trying to understand how an ordinary Thursday evening turned into a deadly scene.
Suzanne and Meghan were both from Pompano Beach. Their deaths have left two members of the same family dead in a shooting that authorities are still investigating. The fact that the victims were a mother and her young daughter makes the case especially painful.
Thornton faces two counts of first-degree murder. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The Broward Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killings.