PRINCETON, W.Va. – UPDATE 7:45 p.m. Tuesday: 22-year-old Summer Thornton was arrested Tuesday in-connection to a Saturday morning shooting near Athens.

According to Lt. Steven Sommers with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, Thornton has been charged with Attempted Murder, Malicious Assault and two counts of Wanton Endangerment. Thornton is being held at Southern Regional Jail on a $100,000 cash-only bond.

Summer Thornton(WVDOC)

The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office is searching for leads in the shooting of a woman near Athens over the weekend.

Chief Deputy J.J. Ruble said deputies responded to a call just after 3 a.m. on Saturday morning at a wide spot off Rt. 20 just outside the Town of Athens.

Officers found a woman inside a vehicle who had been shot. The victim was transported to Princeton Community Hospital and then later to a Charleston area hospital for further treatment.

Ruble said the Sheriff’s Office is currently speaking to witnesses and conducting an investigation into the shooting.

Detective M.T Hatfield is the lead investigator for this case and anyone having any information can contact Det. Hatfield at (304) 487-8364.

WVVA will provide more details as soon as they are available.

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