TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Tallahassee Police Department says it has arrested a suspect in the shooting death of Leon High student Joshua Purcell.
On Jul. 15, 16-year-old Purcell was found shot and killed in the parking lot of Bethel AME Church in Tallahassee after football practice.
According to TPD, witnesses told authorities Purcell and two friends were on their way to confront 19-year-old Danquies Anderson and his brother after an earlier physical altercation.
Reportedly, the two told Purcell about the fight and he became angry, promising immediate action against Anderson.
TPD says one of the witnesses told them they placed a handgun in a backpack and the three began walking towards Anderson’s residence on Tuskegee Street.
According to the report, Purcell began an Instagram Live video as they approached the neighborhood and said in the video that they had a gun, but they only wanted a physical fight, calling for Anderson to meet them.
The shooting was caught on video, according to the report.
TPD says the two witnesses were about 120 feet away from where the shooting took place.
Police say they interviewed multiple members of Anderson’s family, who said Anderson was not at the residence at the time of the shooting.
TPD says they were told by one of Anderson’s brother that Anderson had admitted to the shooting.
Police say when they originally interviewed Anderson, he said he had only fired warning shots, but changed his story when officials confronted him with evidence gathered at the scene.
Anderson was arrested on April 23, 2021, and charged with second-degree homicide murder.
