COOK COUNTY CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE — A second person has been charged in the murder of Alston McNeal, the Austin man shot dead after someone grabbed his girlfriend's butt at a party.
The fatal shooting happened about 3:20 a.m. Oct. 10 in the 1100 block of North Lawler Avenue.
McNeal, 33, and his girlfriend were at a birthday party when Antoine Thorne, 25, grabbed the girlfriend's butt, Assistant State's Attorney Lesley Gool said during a bond hearing Friday.
During an ensuing fight, Thorne's brother, 27-year-old Charles Thorne, fatally shot McNeal in his head, according to prosecutors.
Antoine Thorne was charged in December with first-degree murder and held in lieu of $750,000 bail.
His brother, Charles Thorne, was arrested this week and brought before Cook County Judge Donald Panarese Jr. on Friday on a first-degree murder charge. Bail was set at $1 million.
According to prosecutors, McNeal confronted Antoine Thorne at the Oct. 10 party about grabbing McNeal's girlfriend's butt. The pair argued, and McNeal eventually walked away.
A short while later, Charles Thorne approached his brother and asked what happened, prosecutors said. After a brief conversation, Antoine Thorne allegedly walked over to McNeal and pulled a gun.
McNeal tried to disarm Thorne, prosecutors said, and several partygoers joined the struggle for the gun. The gun went off, Gool noted, but no one was shot.
As the group continued to struggle for the gun, Charles Thorne pulled out his own gun and shot McNeal once in the head, prosecutors said.
The Thorne brothers then ran away, according to Gool. Multiple witnesses identified the Thornes as the men who pulled guns, officials said, and Antoine Thorne was arrested in December. Police issued a warrant for Charles Thorne, who was arrested Wednesday.
McNeal died on the scene.
Both Antoine and Charles Thorne, who live in the 1400 block of North Linder Avenue, are charged with first-degree murder.
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