Bishop Kelley Senior Shot To Death

Tulsa police officers have arrested a 17-year-old in connection with the shooting that left a high school senior dead Saturday.

Saturday, April 4th 2009, 9:29 pm

By: News On 6


By Jeffrey Smith, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- A high school senior is dead, and her 17-year-old friend is accused of first-degree murder.

The death of 18-year-old Kaitlyn Finnegan on Saturday night is leaving investigators with more questions than answers.

Officers learned of the shooting shortly after 7 p.m. when Finnegan showed up at St. Francis Hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest, Sgt. Mark Watson said. She later died about 7:45 p.m.

Police interviewed Theo Fleming, one of Finnegan's friends who took her to the hospital, according to his arrest report. He said Finnegan had been walking a dog in the neighborhood when she was shot in a drive-by.

When that didn't check out, Fleming admitted to shooting Finnegan on accident inside a home at 5837 S. 94th East Place, the arrest report states.

Detectives were told that Finnegan went to the house with another girl. Fleming was at the house already with three other people.

Witnesses said Fleming had a black semi-automatic pistol in the front of his shorts and that he and Finnegan were in the living room when a shot was fired.

As the group loaded the victim into Fleming's vehicle to take her to the hospital, witnesses said Fleming told them he shot her.

Police recovered one spent .22-caliber shell casing inside the home. A black .22-caliber pistol was also recovered from inside Finnegan's vehicle, which was driven to the hospital by a witness.

Fleming, a sophomore at Jenks High School, was booked into the Tulsa jail about 12:45 a.m. Sunday.

"When I first found out about it (the shooting), I was speechless," said 20-year-old Whitney Harmon, who lives next door to the house where the shooting happened. "My mouth dropped to the ground."

Neighbors are shocked, and hundreds of Finnegan's friends and classmates are using Facebook as an outlet for their sadness, many of them sharing favorite memories and stories.

Finnegan was a Bishop Kelley senior, a soccer player and a friend.

One classmate writes, "I know you are in a better place, but I want you back, back with your friends, back to finish your senior year."

"I'm thinking we have this nice little quiet neighborhood, and that this kind of stuff doesn't happen two doors, a couple of doors down from us," neighbor Rosella Wiles said.

Wiles says she didn't hear any shots Saturday night.

It's unknown how much time passed before Finnegan was taken to the hospital and whether drugs or alcohol played a role.

Police say Fleming hasn't talked in interviews on the advice of his attorney.

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