Willie Jamel Thompson, age 47, of New Haven, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 8, without issue and charged with the murder of Julius Bolden-Lowe, East Haven police said. He was being held on a $2 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
Thompson is accused of shooting Bolden-Lowe during an argument at Bullseye Billiards on Main St. in East Haven on Aug. 6, 2022, authorities said. Bolden-Lowe and two others were taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, where Bolden-Lowe would later die of his wounds. The others recovered.
“This arrest marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to delivering justice for Julius Bolden-Lowe and his family," said East Haven Chief Edward Lennon.
It's unclear what sparked the fight that led to the shooting.
People who knew Bolden-Lowe said he was a hardworking and determined young with a quick sense of humor, a sly smile, and a promising future. He died a week before his 27th birthday, his obituary said.
Bolden-Lowe had bought a home in Southington a year before his death, something he'd dreamed of for years, Kathy Magliochetti wrote in a memorial to him.
"He was kind, handsome, funny, smart, gifted. He was ours; he was yours, he belonged to everything good about this world," she wrote. "He was Julius Bolden-Lowe. And we who knew him will never be the same without him."
Thompson is charged with murder, criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, criminal possession of a pistol/revolver by a convicted felon, and carrying a pistol without a permit.
Police did not say what Thompson had been convicted of previously.
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