A 12-year-old boy is being held on a capital murder charge in a shooting that left an Arkansas convenience store clerk dead early Thursday, authorities said.
The victim, 21-year-old Christa Shockley, was found unresponsive by a local newspaper carrier who had entered the E-Z Mart on U.S. 71 in Fouke about 2 a.m., the Miller County sheriff's office said in a news release.
Area agencies responded to the gas station, and Shockley was pronounced dead a short time later, Chief Deputy Michael McQuerrey said. Officials said the victim appeared to be specifically targeted.
Personnel with the Fouke School District were contacted about 7 a.m. and given an overview of the investigation, but no suspects were identified at that time, according to authorities.
By 8 a.m., investigators had located "multiple critical items of evidence" -- including the suspected shooter's clothing and a pistol -- that linked a youth to the death, police said.
The boy, whose identity has not been released, was arrested at an undisclosed location within Fouke city limits a short time later on charges of capital murder and aggravated robbery, McQuerrey said.
The release noted that deputies were sent to the Fouke School District "to help ensure the safety of the students and staff."
The boy remained at the Miller County juvenile detention center as of Thursday evening, according to authorities.
Fouke, a town of about 860 residents, is nearly 17 miles southeast of Texarkana in Miller County.
State Desk on 02/03/2017