A 10-year-old boy in Louisiana is in custody after he reportedly admitted to fatally shooting an 82-year-old former mayor and his 31-year-old daughter.
Joe Cornelius and his daughter Keisha Miles were found dead inside a Minden residence on Sunday, Sep. 1, according to local police.
The victims had been shot several times, police said, per KTBS. "We have the suspect in custody now," Minden Police Chief Jared McIver said of the 10-year-old, per Minden Press-Herald, adding, "We have a confession from the suspect."
McIver added that although the child was "scared," he appeared to have a "mindset to commit a crime like this." It wasn't immediately clear what type of mindset McIver was referring to. Authorities did not release information about the nature of the child's relationship with the victims.
The child was accompanied by his grandmother, who is his legal guardian, for questioning during the investigation, McIver said, according to KTSB. It wasn't immediately clear what charge the child was arrested for or if he's retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
Cornelius was well-known in the community and briefly served as interim mayor of Minden in 2013, per the Webster Parish Journal and KTBS.
A former Minden city councilman, he was known for his work with local youth and earned the nickname "Mister Joe," according to a 2003 newspaper clipping shared by KTLA.
