A 10-year-old boy is in custody after being confessed after fatally shooting a former Louisiana mayor and his adult daughter, a police official said Monday.
Joe Cornelius Sr., 82, and Keisha Miles, 31, were found dead Sunday morning after officers were dispatched to the former state employee’s home in Minden, a town of nearly 12,000 east of Shreveport, the town’s police chief said.
Police Chief Jared McIver identified the boy as a relative of Cornelius but declined to provide additional details and said authorities had not determined a possible motive.
“Our city is in shock,” McIver said. “How can a 10-year-old commit such a malicious act?”
The boy is being held on two counts of first-degree murder, McIver said. He added that it was unclear whether the boy had an attorney to speak on his behalf.
The bodies of Cornelius and Miles were found with multiple gunshot wounds, McIver said, adding that two handguns had been used and their magazines had been emptied.
A 6-year-old boy who was home at the time of the shooting was not injured, McIver said.
The older boy initially gave a different version of the deaths, but by Sunday afternoon he had confessed to the shooting, McIver said.
His grandmother was with him at the time of the confession, McIver said.
Cornelius was a well-known community activist, city council member and deputy marshal for the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, NBC affiliate KTAL of Shreveport reported.
In 2013, while serving on the city council, Cornelius was appointed interim mayor after the sitting mayor died, the station reported.
In a statement released Sunday, Minden Mayor Nick Cox said he was grateful for Cornelius’ friendship and “the many ways he has supported me and others in our city.”
“Joe Cornelius’ years of service to Minden were marked by his commitment and dedication to the betterment of our community,” Cox said, adding, “Let us come together as a community to honor Joe’s memory and support one another during this time of grief.”
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