Arthur Curtis Thomas Jr., 16, a Black male, died in the early hours of September 16, 2025, after he was shot and crashed a vehicle in a Converse neighborhood. Around 3:30 a.m., a homeowner on the 8100 block of Steep Valley heard the collision, found Thomas wounded in the crashed car, and tried to help before deputies arrived. The Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by gunshot wounds. The car had been reported stolen the night before.
Deputies followed signs of a nearby gunfight: two upstairs windows at a residence were shattered, and a handgun lay in the yard. Investigators believe Thomas was shot inside or near the vehicle and then sped away at 70 to 80 miles per hour before losing control and wrecking a few houses down. Neighbors told reporters that firearms-related disturbances in the area have been a problem for years, and detectives secured a search warrant to comb the residence for evidence.
Detectives also explored whether a feud tied Thomas to people at that home and whether a phone-tracking app—such as Find My Friends or Life360—was used to locate him shortly before the shooting. Multiple individuals, including minors and an 18-year-old woman described as having a relationship with Thomas, were detained for questioning that day as investigators pieced together how the confrontation unfolded.
Authorities publicly identified the victim as Arthur Curtis Thomas Jr. later that week, and local outlets confirmed his age and circumstances of death. As of October 22, 2025, deputies had announced detentions but no arrests or filed charges connected to the killing; the investigation remains open.
