A 10-year-old boy shot and killed the 82-year-old mayor of a northwestern Louisiana town, police said.
Minden Police Chief Jared McIver told local news outlets that the boy told police he shot and killed Joe Cornelius Sr., 82, and his daughter, Keisha Miles, 31. Both were found Sunday morning with multiple gunshot wounds.
Officials have not said how the boy, who is in custody, was related to the victims. Neighbors told KSLA TV that they heard Cornelius and the boy arguing and later heard several shots.
“About eight shots. Pow, pow, pow and then pow, pow, pow,” a neighbor told the station.
Cornelius was a long-time member of the Minden City Council who was appointed mayor for a time in 2013 after the previous mayor passed away.
The city of Minden
He was also a former sheriff’s deputy and marshal. Cornelius, a pillar of the city’s black community, was a former funeral home worker who had run youth programs and helped launch local black history observatories.
“Joe Cornelius’ years of service to Minden were marked by his dedication and commitment to improving our community,” Minden Mayor Nick Cox said in a statement on social media. “On a personal note, I am grateful for his friendship and the many ways he supported me and others in our city.”
The shooting left Minden residents shaken.
“It makes my heart bleed,” one resident told KSLA-TV. “It saddens me how a little 10-year-old kid can get a gun.”