John Jefferson
Inset: Joe Cornelius, Sr. and Keisha Miles (GoFundMe). Background: The area where Cornelius and Miles were killed (Google Maps).
A 10-year-old boy in Louisiana admittedly shot and killed an octogenarian former mayor over the weekend, along with his daughter, during an argument about video games, police say.
The victims have been identified as onetime Minden mayor and city council member Joe Cornelius Sr., 82, and Keisha Miles, 31.
Authorities have yet to identify the alleged shooter, presumably due to his age. The boy, however, is said to be related to the slain victims.
The incident occurred sometime early Sunday morning.
At around 6:30 a.m., the Minden Police Department responded to a call about two bodies found inside of a residence on Austin Street in the small city known for its historic, red-brick downtown area, located some 30 miles due east of Shreveport.
“About eight gunshots,” one neighbor recalled to Shreveport-based CBS affiliate KSLA. “Pow, pow, pow and then pow, pow, pow, pow.”
Responding officers discovered Cornelius and Miles dead at the scene of the crime. Both had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The 10-year-old’s guardian brought him to law enforcement, whereupon he confessed to the murders, police told the TV station.
Contrition, on the other hand, appears absent from whatever the child allegedly said after the fatal shooting — or how he said it.
“Now people, I understand,” Minden Police Chief Jared McIver told KSLA. “And here is something I have to say: everyone grieves differently. But I think we all know what grieving looks like — and what it should look like — and I just, you know, didn’t see it.”
The investigation is said to be in its early stages.
Speaking to KSLA, neighbors in the typically placid community offered some insight into what caused the carnage. Apparently, the argument started over credit card charges related to a video game.
“I think that’s what happened,” a neighbor told the TV station. “He was arguing with him; I heard them hollering and stuff. That was my cousin. I hate that that happened. Over a game. I don’t think that was right. The boy was autistic, he had autism.”
Despite those claims of autism, the boy’s neurological condition has not been confirmed by law enforcement.
Joe Cornelius, Sr. (City of Minden).
“Joe got to arguing with him,” the neighbor went on. “The boy just pulled a gun out. I mean, Joe used to be a sheriff, so he has guns because he worked for the sheriff’s department and the boy know where it was. It’s a sad thing.”
Miles leaves behind three children, according to a GoFundMe on behalf of her teenage daughter for funeral and other expenses.
“I’m 17 my mom and grandpa have left me on the earth with my 2 siblings,” the online fundraiser reads. “I have to [bury] my mom on my own with the help of some family. Please send condolences & Love even if you can’t donate.”
The small community of Minden is reeling from the news that a longtime public servant passed away in such a violent fashion.
“Joe Cornelius’s years of service to Minden were marked by his commitment and dedication to the betterment of our community,” Minden Mayor Nick Cox said in a post on Facebook. “On a personal note, I am grateful for his friendship and the many ways he supported me and others in our city. 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.”
Neighbors echoed the loss felt in the close-knit Parish seat.
“He was highly respected in the community,” another neighbor told KSLA. “He was with the sheriff’s department. He was mayor for a little bit. He used to work at the funeral home and stuff like that. He was a good man; he was a good man.”
Law&Crime reached out to the Minden Police Department for additional details and comment on this story but no response was immediately forthcoming at the time of publication.
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