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U.S. NEWS Monday 18 SepteMber 2017
Police: 2 Louisiana slayings likely racially motivated

in a quiet neighborhood of asked him to teach him
mostly ranch-style homes how to bow hunt.“He said
with well-kept lawns, locat- he never liked guns. That’s
ed about 10 miles from the why he wanted to get into
sites of the shootings. archery,” Sing said. “He’s
“He looks like any clean- the last person I’d think to
cut American kid,” said do something like this.”
neighbor Nancy Reynolds, Gleason didn’t appear
who said she didn’t know to have any active social
Gleason or his family. She media profiles. A spokes-
said it was “hard to believe man at Louisiana State
this sort of thing is still hap- University said a student
pening.” by that name attended
Two of Gleason’s cousins the university from the fall
said they couldn’t believe of 2013 to the fall of 2014
he had anything to do with before withdrawing. He
the killings. had transferred to LSU from
“He had no problems with Baton Rouge Community
any person,” said Garrett College, the spokesman,
Sing, 37. “He had black Ernie Ballard, said.East
friends, white friends, Asian Baton Rouge District At-
friends. He made friends torney Hillar Moore said a
with anyone.”Another judge could issue a ruling
Kenneth Gleason is shown in an undated booking photo. Police cousin, 33-year-old Barton on bond for Gleason later
believe the slayings of two black men in Baton Rouge were like- Sing, described Gleason as Sunday. Moore wouldn’t
ly racially motivated and said Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, that they
have a person of interest — Gleason— in custody. Gleason, was a “good kid” and recalled comment on what led in-
being held on drug charges. Authorities do not yet have enough how his cousin recently vestigators to him.q
evidence to charge him with murder, Baton Rouge Sgt. L’Jean
McKneely told The Associated Press.
(East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office via AP)
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN wasn’t immediately clear if
Associated Press Gleason had an attorney
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — or when his first court ap-
The slayings of two black pearance would be.
men in Baton Rouge last The shootings happened
week were likely racially about five miles from
motivated, police said each other. The first oc-
Sunday, and a suspect — curred Tuesday night when
a 23-year-old white man 59-year-old Bruce Cofield,
— was in custody. In both who was homeless, was
shootings the gunman fired shot to death. The second
from his car then walked up happened Thursday night
to the victims as they were when 49-year-old Donald
lying on the ground and Smart was gunned down
fired again multiple times. while walking to his job as a
The suspect, Kenneth Glea- dishwasher at a cafe pop-
son, was being held on ular with Louisiana State
drug charges. Authorities University students, Mck-
didn’t immediately have neely said.
enough evidence to arrest Smart’s aunt, Mary Smart,
him on charges related to said she was still dealing
the killings, but the investi- with the shock of her neph-
gation was ongoing, Baton ew’s death.
Rouge Sgt. L’Jean McK- “I’m feeling down and de-
neely told The Associated pressed. My nephew, I love
Press. him, and he was on his way
“The victims were ... am- to work and that makes it
bushed,” McKneely said. so sad,” she said in a tele-
“There is a strong possibility phone interview Sunday.
that it could be racially mo- “He was always smiling and
tivated.” hugging everybody. A lot
McKneely said shell casings of people knew him.”
from the shootings linked Smart had a son and two
the two slayings, and a daughters, she said.
car belonging to Gleason She declined to comment
fit the description of the on police allegations that
vehicle used in the killings. her nephew might have
He said authorities had col- been shot because of the
lected other circumstantial color of his skin.
evidence but he wouldn’t “I cannot say,” she said.
say what it was. “Only God knows.”
Neither victim had any prior No one answered the
relationship with Gleason. It door at Gleason’s house