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Warrant offers some insight in Bunn teen's shooting

The man accused of shooting his 17-year-old girlfriend has a history of violence against her, according to an unserved arrest warrant.

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BUNN, N.C. — A man accused of shooting his estranged girlfriend twice in the back Thursday had a history of violence, according to an arrest warrant that was never served.

Elvira Hernandez, 17, had gotten off the bus from school, when authorities said, Christopher Steven Thomas, 20, of Louisburg, shot her. She died on the steps to her home.

Thomas then turned the gun on himself. He was listed in critical but stable condition Friday afternoon at WakeMed. Authorities issued an arrest warrant Friday against Thomas, charging him with first-degree murder.

The arrest warrant, issued May 3, shows that Thomas was wanted for punching, scratching, biting and hitting Hernandez. He also threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the alleged incident, the warrant says.

Franklin County Sheriff Pat Green said that deputies tried several times to locate Thomas and serve the warrants, because his mother covered for him.

"His mother, each time, told officers he was not there," Green said. "After the homicide took place yesterday, we re-interviewed the mother, and she admitted she was covering for him."

Authorities have yet to decide whether to file charges against the mother, but have planned to talk to the district attorney about that possibility.

Green said there was also quite a bit of ammunition at the scene, even though Thomas had one gun. That left investigators to speculate that he had intentions to kill more people inside the home, he said.

Hernandez shared the home at 664 Ferrells Bridge Road with the couple's 2-year-old son and her aunt. They were inside the house at the time. When Thomas could not get inside, that is when he turned the gun on himself, Green said.

Hernandez, a junior at Bunn High School, was a straight-A student who was planning to graduate in January and was planning to go to college, family members said.

School administrators remembered her as "a wonderful young lady."

Franklin County school Superintendnent Bert L’Homme said what happened to one of their promising students is overwhelming.

"It's not ever easy," he said. "This is senseless and it's tragic."

A trust fund has been established to help Hernandez's family pay for funeral costs, authorities said. Donations can be made payable to Bunn High School, P.O. Box 146, Bunn, N.C. 27508. Write "Hernandez Fund" in the memo section of checks.

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