Police say a child shot and killed a former city councilman and his adult daughter in the Webster Parish city of Minden.
Joe Cornelius, 82, and his daughter Keisha Miles, 31, were found dead inside their home at around 6:30 Sunday morning.
Investigators say the shooter appears to be a young boy. Authorities initially identified him as a ten-year-old. They later updated the suspect's age to eleven.
There were two juveniles inside the home at the time.
“Through piecing all the evidence together, getting all the resources together, we were able to figure out that one of the juveniles had committed this crime,” says Minden Police Chief Jared McIver. “Surprising that the juvenile is ten years old and just shot both victims.”
McIver says the investigation ruled out any notion that this was an accidental shooting.
“It’s one thing if the juvenile was playing with the gun and accidentally shot (the victims),” McIver notes. “But these victims, they had multiple gunshot wounds, which signifies it was not an accidental shooting or self defense or anything like that.”
At this time, it’s unclear what led to the shooting.
“The child confessed to what they did, and motive is still unclear,” McIver says. “I think we’re starting to get a few answers, but it’s not 100% clear as to why.”