Police in Louisiana have arrested a 10-year-old boy who reportedly confessed to shooting and killing a former mayor and his daughter, NBC News reported Tuesday.

Shreveport Police Chief Jared McIver said officers found the bodies of Joe Cornelius Sr., 82, and Keisha Miles, 31, when they arrived Sunday morning at the former mayor's home in Minden, a city of about 12,000 people east of Shreveport. NBC. (Related article: New mayor assassinated in southern Mexico)

McIver said the victim's body was riddled with gunshot wounds from two handguns containing empty magazines, NBC reported.

A 10-year-old boy from north Louisiana has been arrested after admitting to shooting and killing a former city employee and his daughter. https://t.co/GV0s0yGrp6

— FOX 8 New Orleans (@FOX8NOLA) September 1, 2024

“Our city is in shock,” McIver said. “How could a 10-year-old boy do something so heinous?”

McIver said the child was a relative of the victim, but did not provide any details about the shooting or give a motive, according to NBC.

The media outlet reported that the boy initially gave a different account of the shooting but confessed to pulling the trigger on Sunday afternoon, with his grandmother nearby.

Cornelius was active in town affairs, serving as a well-known community activist, city council member and deputy district marshal with the Webster County Sheriff's Office. Ketal Reported.

According to the media, Cornelius became interim mayor in 2013 after Minden's mayor died in office.

“Joe Cornelius' long-standing commitment to Minden and his dedication to improving our community is remarkable,” Minden Mayor Nick Cox said in a statement. “Let us come together as a community to remember Joe's memory and support one another during this time of grief.”

McIver said the boy was being held on two counts of first-degree murder, but it was unclear whether he had an attorney, NBC reported.