Virginia murder suspect tried to steal hair dye, clothes, backpack at Target in Durham

Levi H. Norwood, 17, was arrested at the store at 4027 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. around 4 p.m. after Durham police responded to a shoplifting situation.

"That is unbelievable. I can't believe it. I used to live right down the street from here. I don’t know what to say," said Amya Steele as she shopped at the Target on Monday.

Authorities said Norwood was trying to steal hair dye, clothes and a backpack when he was arrested.

Target employees found him in the sporting goods section of the store and called police, officials said. A car that Norwood was suspected of stealing was also recovered at the time of his arrest, Virginia authorities said.

Norwood’s father found his wife and younger son dead from gunshot wounds when he returned to their Midland, Va., home on Friday evening. Norwood shot and wounded his father, who escaped and called for help, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office. The father was in stable condition at a hospital.

Norwood was charged with two counts of murder in the killing of Jennifer Norwood, 34, and her son Wyatt.

In court on Monday, Norwood waived extradition to Virginia. The charges against him in North Carolina for the shoplifting will be dropped, his defense attorney said, because the charges from Virginia are much more serious.

"He’s facing homicide charges in Virginia, and we don’t want to stand in the way of them pursuing those," said attorney Daniel Meier.

Midland is about 53 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. Sheriff’s deputies blocked off roads and searched wooded areas near the family’s home.

Law enforcement officers initially believed Norwood had barricaded himself inside the family’s home but didn’t find him in there when they entered the residence after trying to make contact with him for several hours.

Fauquier Sheriff Robert Mosier said on Saturday afternoon that it appeared Norwood had stolen a car about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the home.

Mosier called the crime scene and the search for Norwood "as bad as it gets."

"It's really effected this community," he said. "The search, the manhunt if you will, for Levi in that area, the neighbors not knowing if he's armed and dangerous out there in that neighborhood hiding, that apprehension and fear."

Norwood's aunt told Fox 5 in Washington, D.C., "It doesn't make sense. It's scary. It's traumatizing. It's life-altering. My heart is just broke, but I want to hear what Levi has to say."

Gracy Whitaker, who was shopping at the Durham Target on Monday, said, "That’s really scary, and you just have to wonder what’s wrong with him."

"Had I heard that while I was in the store, I would’ve gotten out of the store real quick," said Sandra Berber.