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'Strong possibility' of racial motivation in Baton Rouge killings, police say 'Strong possibility' of racial motivation in Baton Rouge killings, police say
(about 5 hours later)
Police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said on Sunday there was a “strong possibility” that the killings of two black men last week were racially motivated. The killings of two black men in Baton Rouge last week were likely racially motivated, police said on Sunday, with a 23-year-old white man in custody. In both shootings the gunman fired from his car then walked up to the victims as they were lying on the ground and fired again multiple times.
Police say the shootings happened about five miles from each other. The first occurred on Tuesday when 59-year-old Bruce Cofield, who was homeless, was shot dead. The suspect, Kenneth Gleason, was being held on drug charges. Authorities did not immediately have enough evidence to arrest him on charges related to the killings but the investigation was ongoing, Baton Rouge sergeant L’Jean McKneely said.
The second happened on Thursday when 49-year-old Donald Smart was shot while walking to work at a café popular with Louisiana State University students, Baton Rouge sergeant L’Jean McKneely said. “The victims were ... ambushed,” McKneely said. “There is a strong possibility that it could be racially motivated.”
McKneely said authorities had a person of interest – a 23-year-old white man – in custody. The man was being held on drug charges. McKneely said police did not yet have enough evidence to charge him with murder. McKneely said shell casings from the shootings linked the two shootings and a car belonging to Gleason fit the description of the vehicle used in the killings. He said authorities had collected other circumstantial evidence but he would not say what it was.
Shell casings from each killing matched and a car belonging to Kenneth Gleason the person of interest fitted the description of the vehicle police were looking for, McKneely said. Neither victim had any prior relationship with Gleason. It was not immediately clear if Gleason had an attorney or when his first court appearance would be.
Smart’s aunt, Mary Smart, said she was still dealing with the shock of her nephew’s death and could not understand what had happened. The shootings happened about five miles from each other. The first occurred on Tuesday night when 59-year-old Bruce Cofield, who was homeless, was shot dead. The second happened on Thursday night when 49-year-old Donald Smart was shot while walking to his job as a dishwasher at a café popular with students from Louisiana State University (LSU), Mckneely said.
“I’m feeling down and depressed. My nephew, I love him, and he was on his way to work and that makes it so sad,” she said in a telephone interview on Sunday. “He was always smiling and hugging everybody. A lot of people knew him.” Smart’s aunt, Mary Smart, said: “I’m feeling down and depressed. My nephew, I love him, and he was on his way to work and that makes it so sad. He was always smiling and hugging everybody. A lot of people knew him.”
Smart had a son and two daughters, she said. She declined to comment on police suggestions that her nephew might have been shot because of the color of his skin.Smart had a son and two daughters, she said. She declined to comment on police suggestions that her nephew might have been shot because of the color of his skin.
“I cannot say,” she said. “Only God knows.”“I cannot say,” she said. “Only God knows.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if the man in custody had an attorney or when his first court appearance would be. No one answered the door at his house in a quiet neighborhood of mostly ranch-style homes with well-kept lawns, located about 10 miles from the sites of the shootings. No one answered the door at Gleason’s house in a quiet neighborhood of mostly ranch-style homes with well-kept lawns, about 10 miles from the sites of the shootings.
“He looks like any clean-cut American kid,” said neighbor Nancy Reynolds, who didn’t know Gleason or his family. She said it was “hard to believe this sort of thing is still happening”. “He looks like any clean-cut American kid,” said neighbor Nancy Reynolds, who said she didn’t know Gleason or his family. She said it was “hard to believe this sort of thing is still happening”.
Detectives searched Gleason’s home on Saturday and found less than a gram of marijuana and vials of human growth hormone in his bedroom, according to a police document. After Gleason was read his Miranda rights, he claimed ownership of the drugs, the document said. Two of Gleason’s cousins said they could not believe he had anything to do with the killings. “He had no problems with any person,” said Garrett Sing, 37. “He had black friends, white friends, Asian friends. He made friends with anyone.”
Louisiana’s capital, a city of 229,000, is known for its championship college football team and its political scene. A year ago, racial tensions roiled the city when a black man, Alton Sterling, was shot dead by white police officers outside a convenience store. Another cousin, 33-year-old Barton Sing, described Gleason as a “good kid” and recalled how his cousin recently asked him to teach him how to bow hunt.
About two weeks later, a black gunman targeted police in an ambush, killing three officers before he was shot dead. The city is about 55% black and 40% white. “He said he never liked guns. That’s why he wanted to get into archery,” Sing said. “He’s the last person I’d think to do something like this.”
Gleason didn’t appear to have any active social media profiles. A spokesman at LSU said a student by that name attended the university from the fall of 2013 to the fall of 2014 before withdrawing. He had transferred to LSU from Baton Rouge Community College, the spokesman, Ernie Ballard, said.
East Baton Rouge district attorney Hillar Moore said a judge could issue a ruling on bond for Gleason later on Sunday. Moore would not comment on what led investigators to him. “We’re actively investigating right now,” Moore said.
Detectives searched Gleason’s home on Saturday and found 9g of marijuana and vials of human growth hormone, according to a police document. After Gleason was read his Miranda rights, he claimed ownership of the drugs, the document said.
Louisiana’s capital, a city of 229,000, is known for its championship college football team. A year ago, racial tensions roiled the city when a black man, Alton Sterling, was shot dead by white police officers outside of a convenience store. About two weeks later, a black gunman targeted police in an ambush, killing three officers and wounding three before he was shot dead. The city is about 55% black and 40% white.
Smart consistently showed up for his overnight shift as a dishwasher at Louie’s Cafe in a spotless white T-shirt and bright white Nike tennis shoes, the Advocate newspaper reported.
“I’ve seen 26 years of folks washing dishes in a busy diner and this guy is untouchable,” Louie’s general manager, Fred Simonson, was quoted as saying. “When you have an employee like Donald, he’s the type of person who’s going to make the person next to him better.”