ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — New video of the interrogation of a teenager on trial for the shooting of three people inside the Monroeville Mall was played in court on Thursday.
Tarod Thornhill, who previously pleaded not guilty to charges that included attempted homicide and aggravated assault in the February 2015 shootings in Macy's at the mall, only spoke with detective for about an hour, but had plenty of stories to share, even claiming he had a twin at one point.
RELATED CONTENT:
Thornhill was 17 at the time of the shooting. His attorney was unsuccessful in trying to move the case to juvenile court, which would only have jurisdiction until he's 21. Instead, he faces potentially decades in prison if convicted.
At first Thornhill is heard on the video denying over and over again that he was not at the mall the day of the shooting and was instead at his girlfriend’s place. Then detectives begin describing surveillance video from inside the Macy’s which they tell him shows him “clear as day at the mall.”
Three people were shot, including two bystanders.
Thornhill's attorney said one of the people shot had a fight with his client earlier that day.
In the video, detectives leave the room and come back with pictures from the surveillance video, prompting Thornhill to change his story again.
Detective: “People are going to look at you as just some crazy psychopath, shooting bullets indiscriminately at anybody in Macy’s.Thornhill: “Self-defense.”Detective: “It was self-defense?”Thornhill: “Yeah.”Detective: “So you were at Monroeville Mall?”Thornhill: “Yeah.”Detective: “Why was it self-defense?”Thornhill: “He kept trying to jump me.”Detective: “He jumped you?”Thornhill: “Yeah.”Detective: “He approached you?”Thornhill: “Yeah.”Detective: What did you think was going to happen?”Thornhill: “I didn't know what was going to happen (inaudible).”Detective: “You ran?”Thornhill: “Then I came back.”
Moments later, the detective asks if the person said something to Thornhill before he acted.
Detective: “Did he say something to you?”Thornhill: “Yeah. He said, ‘What's up now?’ I said, ‘What's up?’ He was clutching on himself, so I protected myself.”Detective: “What's ‘clutching on himself?’”Thornhill: “He was holding his waist, so I thought he had a gun.”Detective: “OK.”
Thornhill opted Wednesday for a bench trial, meaning the judge will make the final decision in the case.
His attorney acknowledged this week that Thornhill is responsible for the shooting but said he was mentally ill at the time.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/W3Q5W65YHVHNLFPJFHHN7P6Y6M.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/CDCX2OOMTZFVDHZVZTXS4IS62E.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/DV3D5PBQIZFEPANBGDDAZHIA5I.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LSZTZUGJCVFQJD5FDBDT6MCI3E.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/DQKNBJYJFBCSPFKS6MJXOOYTEA.jpg)