11-year-old allegedly confesses to fatally shooting 82-year-old man and his daughter

The 11-year-old is related to the victims. A motive isn't clear, police said.

An 11-year-old has allegedly confessed to fatally shooting a former city council member and his daughter, according to officials in Louisiana.

Officers in Minden, about 30 miles east of Shreveport, received a call at 6:30 a.m. Sunday about two bodies inside of a house, Minden Police Chief Jared McIver told ABC News on Tuesday.

Responders found Joe Cornelius Sr., 82, and his daughter, Keisha Miles, 31, dead from multiple gunshot wounds, he said.

Former Minden city councilman and a former interim mayor Joe Cornelius Sr. City of Minden/Facebook

The 11-year-old -- who is related to the victims -- "gave us a story at first that just didn't add up," and later the juvenile allegedly confessed to the shootings, McIver said at a news conference Tuesday.

A motive is not known, McIver said.

Investigators were "told at first he was 10 years of age, but is confirmed to be 11 years of age," the chief said at the news conference.

The child was at the house Sunday morning and allegedly shot the victims between 6 and 6:30 a.m., the chief said.

Two guns that belonged in the house were found hidden on the property, the chief said, and the shell casings at the scene were of the same caliber as the two guns.

The 11-year-old is in custody and is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, McIver said.

"We still got to put some puzzle pieces together," the chief told ABC News. "The city can rest easy knowing that the suspect is off the street of a double homicide, but there's also the shock factor."

"There's a sigh of relief, there's a shock, there's mourning, there's just different emotions our city is running through right now. Only thing we can do right now is do this case the best we can," he said.

The 82-year-old victim, Joe Cornelius Sr., was a longtime councilman in Minden and at one point served as the appointed mayor, according to Minden Mayor Nick Cox.

"Joe Cornelius's years of service to Minden were marked by his commitment and dedication to the betterment of our community. On a personal note, I am grateful for his friendship and the many ways he supported me and others in our city," Cox said in a statement. "During this incredibly difficult time, I ask that we all keep Joe's family in our thoughts and prayers. May they find comfort and strength in the midst of this tragedy. Let us come together as a community to honor Joe's memory and support one another through this time of grief."

"Joe's efforts to improve Minden have left a lasting impact that will be remembered for years to come," Cox said at Tuesday's news conference.

emurange205 on September 3rd, 2024 at 17:44 UTC »

Police are efforting an expert who specializes with children to interview the suspect and help determine next steps, McIver said.

This is a terrible article. What does that even mean?

I think one is a little better:

An 11-year-old boy is in custody after he confessed to 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 official’s home in Minden, a city of nearly 12,000 east of Shreveport, the city’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 have not determined a possible motive. He said the child’s age limited what information police could release about his relationship to the victims.

Police initially said the child was 10, but in an interview Tuesday, McIver said police had determined through his school system that he was 11.

The boy is being held on two counts of first-degree murder, McIver said. He said it was unclear whether the child has a lawyer to speak on his behalf.

The bodies of Cornelius and Miles were found with multiple gunshot wounds, said McIver, who said that two handguns were used and that their magazines were emptied.

A 6-year-old child who was at the home at the time of the shooting was not injured, McIver said.

The older boy initially provided a different account of the deaths but by Sunday afternoon had confessed to the shooting, McIver said. He said police were called to the scene at 6:30 a.m. and by noon, the child had confessed.

His grandmother — who is Miles’ mother — was with him at the time of the confession, McIver said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/10-year-old-boy-custody-allegedly-killing-former-louisiana-mayor-daugh-rcna169264

YogaBeth on September 3rd, 2024 at 16:01 UTC »

The only question that matters is how that 10 year old got his hands on a gun. We have firearms in our house. When my kids were still at home, guns were locked in a gun safe. The kids had no idea where the safe was nor where the keys were. My husband is a retired FBI agent. He carried a gun every single day for over 20 years. He was never even one time, careless with his service weapon. It was on his body or in the safe.

We no longer have kids at home. We are still very, very careful with our firearms. Most people would be surprised we even have guns. We are liberal dems in a very red state.

We need to start charging, prosecuting, and jailing people who allow children to access firearms. No excuses.

lala_b11 on September 3rd, 2024 at 15:23 UTC »

The shooter was 10-YEARS-OLD?!