Boy, 11, charged over fatal shooting of ex-US mayor, 82, and daughter

NEW YORK - An 11-year-old boy is facing murder charges after he confessed to fatally shooting an 82-year-old relative who had once served as mayor of a small Louisiana city and the man’s adult daughter over the weekend, the police said on Sept 3.

The elder victim Joe Cornelius Sr, a city council member who also briefly served as mayor of Minden, a city about 40km east of Shreveport, was found shot to death on Sept 1 at his home, along with his daughter Keisha Miles, 31.

The boy has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and is being held in lieu of US$500,000 (S$654,000) bail, Chief Jared McIver of the Minden Police Department said at a news conference on Sept 3. The police chief did not release the boy’s name, nor did he disclose the exact nature of his relationship with the victims, citing the boy’s age. But he confirmed that the boy was related to the victims.

The police believe that the boy acted alone and that he used two firearms that were recovered at the scene, Mr McIver said. He said investigations are ongoing and the police did not yet know the motive for the deadly attack.

“Who knows why someone would do something this malicious – and at that age,” he said. “We are putting everything together and, hopefully, very soon we will have all the answers – more answers – as to the ‘why’.”

A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office that serves Webster Parish said it was not yet clear if the boy would be prosecuted as an adult. It is unclear if the boy is represented by a lawyer. The local public defender’s office said it did not yet know whether the boy would be represented by that office.

News of the double homicide shocked residents in Minden, a city of about 11,500, many of whom knew Mr Cornelius.

A longtime city council member, Mr Cornelius was appointed mayor of Minden for a time after the then mayor died in office in 2013. He was also a former sheriff’s deputy and marshal. According to The Associated Press, Mr Cornelius had also worked at a funeral home, ran programmes for youth and helped organise local Black history events.

On social media, he was remembered by his nicknames “Mr Joe” and “Ice Cream Joe”. Mr Cornelius, a former ice cream seller, would hand out free ice cream to children whose families could not afford it. Neighbours and friends said that they knew he was coming when they heard the music coming from his ice cream truck.

The police chief said on Sept 3 that officers responded to a 911 call around 6.30am on Sept 1 and found Mr Cornelius and Ms Miles dead with multiple gunshot wounds.

The police found the 11-year-old boy on the scene. The police chief said that “the juvenile gave us a story at first that just didn’t add up” but later the same day, in an interview with detectives at which an adult family member was present, he confessed that he had killed both victims.

The police recovered two weapons on the property, and their calibres matched empty shell casings found at the scene, Mr McIver said.

The police chief declined to answer questions about who owned the guns or how the boy had been able to gain access to them.

At the news conference, Minden’s current mayor Nick Cox said: “Joe Cornelius was more than just a public servant.” He added: “Joe’s efforts to improve Minden have left a lasting impact that will be remembered for years to come.”

“It’s just a shock to the community,” the police chief said of the suspect’s age. But the crime itself is also shocking, he said, as the older victim had been so dear to his community.

“Everybody knew Mr Joe, and that’s what hurts the most,” Mr Cox said. “When you know somebody who has been in the community for so long, who has reached so many people, there is a sorrow.” NYTIMES