BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Latest on the slayings of two black men in Baton Rouge that police believe were racially motivated (all times local):
6:30 p.m.
A judge has set bond for a white man suspected in the fatal shootings of two black men in Baton Rouge.
District Attorney Hillar Moore told the Associated Press on Sunday evening that Kenneth Gleason, whom police named as a suspect in the shootings, was given a $3,500 bond for the drug charges that police were holding him on.
Baton Rouge Sgt. L’Jean McKneely said in both shootings the suspect 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 two shootings were likely racially motivated.
Gleason has not been arrested on any charges related to the killings.
According to the sheriff’s office the 23-year-old was still jailed as of 6 p.m. Sunday.
___
3:30 p.m.
Two cousins of a 23-year-old white man whom police identified as a suspect in the fatal shootings of two black men say they can’t believe their relative had anything to do with the killings.
Police say the two shootings in Baton Rouge last week were likely racially motivated. Kenneth Gleason, whom police named as a suspect in the shootings, was being held on drug charges Sunday and hadn’t been arrested on any charges related to the killings.
Barton Sing told The Associated Press that Gleason, one of his cousins, doesn’t like guns and has black friends. Sing said there is “no way” Gleason could be involved in the shootings.
Another cousin, Garrett Sing, described Gleason as a “good kid” who “had no problems with any person.”
Baton Rouge Sgt. L’Jean McKneely says shell casings from each killing matched and a car belonging to Gleason fit the description of the vehicle police were looking for.
___
12:45 p.m.
Police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, say the killings of two black men they believe were racially motivated were carried out in similar ways.
Baton Rouge Sgt. L’Jean McKneely said in both shootings the suspect fired from his car, then walked up to the victims as they were lying on the ground and fired again multiple times. He says police haven’t found any relationship between the suspect in the killings, Kenneth Gleason, and the victims.
Gleason, who is white, is being held on drug charges. Authorities say they do not yet have enough evidence to charge him in the killings.
It’s not clear whether he has an attorney. No one answered the door at his home.
___
11:35 a.m.
The aunt of a black man who was killed in what police believe was a racially motivated attack says she is still dealing with the shock of her nephew’s death.
Mary Smart, Donald Smart’s aunt, told The Associated Press on Sunday that she could not understand what had happened. She says her nephew was always smiling and hugging everybody, and had a son and two daughters.
She declined to comment on police allegations that her nephew might have been shot because of the color of his skin.
Baton Rouge police say there is a “strong possibility” that Smart’s slaying and the killing of a homeless man were racially motivated. They have a suspect - a 23-year-old white man - in custody and they are holding him on unrelated drug charges.
They have not said why they believe the shootings were racially motivated.
___
9:45 a.m.
Authorities in Baton Rouge say there is a “strong possibility” that the slayings of two black men last week were racially motivated.
Baton Rouge Sgt. L’Jean McKneely told The Associated Press on Sunday that authorities have a person of interest - a 23-year-old white man - in custody.
The man is being held on drug charges. McKneely says police do not yet have enough evidence to arrest him on any charges related to the killings. He says shell casings from each killing matched and a car belonging to Kenneth Gleason, the person of interest, fit the description of the vehicle police were looking for.
Police say the shootings happened about 5 miles from each other. The first occurred Tuesday when 59-year-old Bruce Cofield, who was homeless, was shot to death.
The second happened Thursday when 49-year-old Donald Smart was gunned down walking to work.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.