Boyfriend of Chesterfield teen charged with shooting her lied to police

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Marche Lowe is on life support after being shot in the head.

The 17-year-old clings to life as prosecutors say Wednesday it is her 21-year-old boyfriend, Oshae Ricky Thomas who pulled the trigger.

Thomas is charged with assault with intent to murder and felony firearm.

Chesterfield township police say Monday afternoon that Thomas while inside Lowe's home on Briar Towne shot his girlfriend in the head he originally told police a different story.

Prosecutor: "The defendant initially lied to police about the situation saying she was shot by another subject."

But police found a gun hidden in a couch, said Thomas later confessed.

>>CLICK HERE to donate to a GoFundMe for Marche Lowe.

Some friends of Lowe's told FOX 2 that the couple had been dating for nearly two years, called him abusive and controlling even threatening to kill her if she broke up with him, adding that Thomas would brag about being a so-called swiper stealing credit card numbers.

"The side that you guys are hearing isn't true," said Diamond Hardy, Lowe's sister. "Abusive isn't him.  No. He's a calm and collected dude.

"This just had to be an accident. Him shooting her, no."

But of the photos Thomas has posted on social media, most show him with guns and stacks of cash. The photos are not sitting well with many despite his family saying those guns are fake.

"When he met this girl, she took him from all trouble," Hardy said. "He hasn't been in trouble since he's been with this girl."

"You shouldn't put your hands on a female no matter what," said Carl Lowe, Marche's uncle. "If that gun was fake we wouldn't be in this situation."

While Thomas' family calls the situation tragic they say they send their thoughts and prayers to Marche Lowe and her family.

Everyone is just hoping the teen pulls through.

"The family just asks to pray," Lowe said. "Hopefully everything can work its way out."

Thomas is due back in court May 17 with a $500,000 bond. He faces life in prison.