BATON ROUGE, La. -- Authorities say a 23-year-old white Baton Rouge man has been arrested and will be charged with murder in the fatal shootings of two black men.

Interim Police Chief Jonny Dunnam said Tuesday that Kenneth James Gleason was accused of killing a homeless man and a dishwasher. Bruce Cofield, 59, was killed last Tuesday. Two nights later, Donald Smart, 49, was fatally shot as he was walking to his job at Louie's Cafe.

Gleason is expected to be charged with two counts of first-degree murder, officials announced Tuesday. He's also accused of firing on a black family's home. Gleason was led away from the police department in handcuffs just before authorities there held a news conference.

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. Neither victim had any prior relationship with Gleason. Police have said there was a "strong possibility" the shootings were racially motivated but in the press conference Tuesday didn't detail Gleason's alleged motive.

"Had there not been a swift conclusion in this case, I feel confident this killer probably would have killed again, and could have potentially created a tear in the fabric that holds this community together," Dunnam said Tuesday.

A law enforcement official who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity said a copy of an Adolf Hitler speech was found at Gleason's home.

Gleason's attorney, J. Christopher Alexander, said his client "vehemently denies guilt, and we look forward to complete vindication." Alexander declined to say anything else.

Officials had been searching for a red car linked to the investigation when they spotted Gleason driving the vehicle and pulled him over Saturday, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore said in a press conference. Gleason was arrested on drug charges, but he was bailed out of jail late Sunday even though authorities considered him a "person of interest" in the murders.

Hate on display in string of high-profile crimes

Gleason was arrested again on Monday by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office on a charge of stealing a book -- "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" -- from a Baton Rouge bookstore as authorities awaited test results from the state crime lab. Those results linked DNA on shell casings found at one of the scenes to Gleason, Moore said.

The ATF's National Integrated Ballistic Information Network determined on Friday that shell casings found at both scenes were fired from the same weapon, Moore said.

Moore said it was highly unusual for DNA to be found on spent shell casings and praised the work of local law enforcement and the quick turnaround from federal and state forensic investigators that helped them secure the arrest warrant.

Gleason is also expected to be charged by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office with firing at his neighbor's home Sept. 11. The home was occupied, but no one was injured. Moore said an African-American family lived in the home, but did not say whether he believed hate was a motive.

It's not clear if Gleason knew the family.

Moore said Gleason "made statements" to investigators but wouldn't detail what he said. Moore said his office could seek the death penalty.

"It appears to be cold, calculated, planned (against) people who were unarmed and defenseless," he said. "We don't need to prove motive. There are a lot of things that are unanswered."

Sgt. L'Jean McKneely, a spokesman with Baton Rouge police, told CBS affiliate WAFB-TV detectives still believe the crimes were racially motivated, but the investigation is ongoing to determine for sure.

Authorities are still searching for the weapon used in the crime.</s>× Fatal Shooting of 2 Black Men in Baton Rouge May Be Racially Motivated, Police Say

Police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said Sunday the killings of two black men in separate incidents last week are linked and may have been racially motivated.

The victims, 49-year-old Donald Smart and 59-year-old Bruce Cofield, were shot to death two days and a couple of miles apart, Baton Rouge Police Sgt. L’Jean Mckneely said.

In both instances, the suspect shot the victim from a car, Mckneely said. After the victims fell, the suspect got out of the car, walked to the victims and fired several more shots.

Shell casings found at the scenes, the descriptions of the shooter’s car and witness accounts helped investigators link the incidents, Mckneely said.

A 23-year-old white man from Baton Rouge is a person of interest in the case, Mckneely said. The man was taken into custody Saturday when police stopped a car matching the description of the vehicle used in the shootings, and he was being held Sunday on drug-related charges.

Smart’s body was found late Thursday on Alaska Street, around the corner from his home, police said. Cofield, who was believed to be homeless, was killed on Florida Street, about two miles to the north.</s>Police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said Sunday the killings of two black men in separate incidents last week are linked and may have been racially motivated.

The victims, 49-year-old Donald Smart and 59-year-old Bruce Cofield, were shot to death two days and a couple of miles apart, Baton Rouge Police Sgt. L’Jean Mckneely said.

In both instances, the suspect shot the victim from a car, Mckneely said. After the victims fell, the suspect got out of the car, walked to the victims and fired several more shots.

Shell casings found at the scenes, the descriptions of the shooter’s car and witness accounts helped investigators link the incidents, Mckneely said.

A 23-year-old white man from Baton Rouge was taken into custody on drug-related charges Saturday after police stopped a car matching the description of the vehicle used in the shootings.

The man was released from jail Sunday after posting a $3,500 bond, Savannah Jones with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s office told CNN.

Smart’s body was found late Thursday on Alaska Street, around the corner from his home, police said. Cofield, who was believed to be homeless, was killed on Florida Street, about two miles to the north.</s>iStock/Thinkstock(BATON ROUGE, La.) — Authorities in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, are investigating whether two related shootings of black men in one week were racially motivated.

A homeless man, Bruce Coefield, was killed on Tuesday and two days later Donald Smart was gunned down on his way to work just five miles away near Louisiana State University.

Authorities said they found matching shell casings at both crime scenes and in both cases, the shooter got out of his car and fired the victims multiple times.

Police have detained Kenneth Gleason for questioning in the case, but the 23-year-old white man was booked on drug charges. Officials have stressed they are also looking into other motives.

“It’s disheartening to know that that’s happening in Baton Rouge, but we’re pushing forward with all our investigations, the community has been forthcoming with assisting us,” Baton Rouge Police Sergeant L’Jean McKneely said.</s>A 23-year-old white man was arrested on Tuesday and will be charged with murder in the shooting deaths of two black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, authorities said.

Kenneth Gleason is accused of carrying out the killings on Sept. 12 and Sept. 14. Local media reported that police have said the killings may be racially motivated, but officials would not confirm that.

The suspect was charged on Tuesday with two counts of first degree murder in the killings of Bruce Cofield and Donald Smart, as well as two counts of attempted first degree murder in an unrelated shooting.

In both incidents a motorist opened fire on a pedestrian, said Parish of East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore. Once the victims were on the ground, Moore said, the assailant got out of the car and shot them again several times.

Moore said prosecutors may seek the death penalty for Gleason if he is convicted.

But Moore said that even if the killings were determined to be racially motivated, it was unlikely Gleason would also face hate crime charges.

“You can’t kill him twice,” Moore told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday, saying such a charge was unnecessary in a death penalty case.

Baton Rouge Police spokesman Sergeant L’Jean McKneely would not say if the killings were racially motivated, but added, “We’re not completely closed off to that.”

Interim Baton Rouge Police Chief Jonny Dunnam noted the city has suffered racial turmoil in the past year or so.

In July 2016, a 37-year-old black man, Alton Sterling, was killed while scuffling with two police officers outside a convenience store. In May, the two officers were spared federal charges but still face a state investigation.

Twelve days after Sterling’s death, a 29-year-old black man opened fire on Baton Rouge police, killing three officers before being fatally shot himself.

If police had not been able to bring “a swift conclusion” to last week’s killings, Dunnam said, “(Gleason) could have potentially created a tear in the fabric that holds this community together.”

McKneely would not comment when asked about reports that Nazi and satanic literature had been at the house where Gleason lived with parents outside Baton Rouge.

Gleason was detained on Saturday by a Baton Rouge police officer who recognized him from the description of the shooter driving a red car. Had Gleason not been arrested, said Dunnam, “this killer probably would have killed again.”

Gleason will also be charged with shooting into an occupied residence near his parents’ house. Moore said the homeowners were black. No one was injured in that Sept. 11 incident, he said.</s>Ingram Publishing/Thinkstock(BATON ROUGE, La.) –A 23-year-old white man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon and two counts of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated criminal damage to property and illegal use of a weapon by Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police today in connection with three shootings that took place this month.

Kenneth Gleason, 23, was arrested this morning by detectives from the Baton Rouge Police Department after a crime lab processed DNA evidence that allegedly linked Gleason to shell casings found at the scene of two of the shootings that left two black men dead, police said in a press conference.

Bruce Cofield, 59, and Donald Smart, 49, were both shot and killed within five miles of each other last week. In the shootings, the suspect first fired from his car and then exited the vehicle to shoot the victims while they were on the ground, according to police.

“Witness accounts in certain circumstances and ballistic analyzation of the homicides helped link the two,” Sgt. Don Coppola, a public information officer with the Baton Rouge Police Department, told ABC News.

Gleason allegedly also fired shots at a Sandy Ridge residence on Sept. 11. Police did not provide additional information.

Gleason was initially named as a “person of interest” in the investigation into the killings of Smart and Cofield.

“Gleason was occupying a vehicle that matched the description” of the one seen in the area of the killings, Coppola alleged.

On Sunday, Gleason was released from jail after being booked on two drug charges. He was arrested again on Monday for allegedly stealing “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” from a local bookstore last week, police said.

After the crime lab processed the DNA evidence this morning, Gleason was charged with the killings, police said.

While Baton Rouge Police spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McNeely told ABC News that the killings “could possibly be racially motivated,” police said in a press release Tuesday that the “motive is still unclear and this is an ongoing investigation.”

Police had initially questioned Gleason for hours and searched his home and his vehicle, but didn’t have enough evidence to charge him in the murders when he was arrested on drug charges on Saturday, McNeely said.

Law enforcement allegedly found schedule 1 narcotics – marijuana – and schedule 3 narcotics, which were “some kind of human growth hormone” at Gleason’s house on Saturday, Coppola said, and Gleason was arrested.

Gleason was released Sunday on bond, which had been set at $3,500.

Neither Gleason nor his family responded to ABC News’ request for comment.

Coppola said he was not aware if Gleason had any previous criminal record, and a background check showed only a traffic violation that had been dismissed by the court from earlier this year.

Police said Cofield, who was homeless, was killed on Tuesday. Smart was shot on Thursday while he was on his way to work at a cafe.

The Smart family has not commented on Gleason’s arrest.

The district attorney’s office said it was too early to know if Gleason has legal representation.</s>A man questioned about two possibly racially-motivated homicides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana has been released on bail after a drug arrest, reports say.

Mr Gleason was arrested on suspicion of drug possession unrelated to the killings. Kenneth Gleason, 23, posted his $3,500 bail and was released from prison, according to the Advocate, a newspaper in Baton Rouge.

​He was questioned for hours about the slaying of two black men, but not arrested.

Baton Rouge Police spokesman Don Coppola told the newspaper that Mr Gleason remains a person of interest in the case and that the investigation is still ongoing.

Both shootings - one on Tuesday happened about five miles from each other and within the same timeframe, between 10.45pm and 11.15pm, Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman L'Jean McKneely told the Advocate.

In both homicides, the shooter was wearing dark clothes, including possibly a tactical vest, and carrying a 9-mm handgun.

The first of the two potentially linked shootings occurred on Tuesday night when Bruce Cofield, 59, who was homeless, was gunned down. The second happened on Thursday night when Donald Smart, 49, was shot while walking work. He was a dishwasher at Louie’s Cafe, a popular spot for Louisiana State University students.

Both victims had no known prior relationship to Mr Gleason, who is white.

“We believe (the shootings) could possibly be racially motivated,” Mr McKneely said.

In both homicides, the gunman shot a lone pedestrian from inside a red “small, older sedan with shiny rims” and then left the vehicle and “shot them to death”, according to an internal Baton Rouge police bulletin that was distributed to Louisiana law enforcement, the Advocate reported.

According to the newspaper, shell casings matched from the two killings and Mr Gleason's car fit the description of the vehicle used.

When detectives searched Mr Gleason’s home on Saturday night, they found marijuana and human growth hormones in his bedroom and bathroom, the Advocate said.

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 was shot to death 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 others before he was shot to death. The city is about 55 per cent black and 40 per cent white.</s>iStock/Thinkstock(BATON ROUGE, La.) — The killings of two black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last week “could possibly be racially motivated” but police are “still looking at other motives,” Baton Rouge Police spokesman Sgt. L’Jean McNeely told ABC News Sunday.

Bruce Cofield, 59, and Donald Smart, 49, were both shot and killed within five miles of each other last week. In the shootings, the suspect first fired from his car and then exited the vehicle to shoot the victims while they were on the ground, according to police.

“Witness accounts in certain circumstances and ballistic analyzation of the homicides helped link the two,” Sgt. Don Coppola, a public information officer with the Baton Rouge Police Department, told ABC News Monday.

Police have named Kenneth Gleason, 23, as a “person of interest” in the investigation. “Gleason was occupying a vehicle that matched the description” of the one seen in the area of the killings, Coppola said.

On Sunday, Gleason was released from jail after being booked on two drug charges. Gleason has not been charged in relation to the killings.

“This investigation is ongoing, Gleason is still a person of interest, and through the investigation, if it is learned that there is any other individual or individuals who could be other persons of interest, investigators will look into them as well,” Coppola said.

Police had questioned Gleason for many hours and searched his home and his vehicle, but didn’t have enough evidence to charge him in the murders, McNeely said.

But law enforcement found schedule 1 narcotics – marijuana – and schedule 3 narcotics, which were “some kind of human growth hormone” at Gleason’s house on Saturday, Coppola said, and Gleason was arrested.

Gleason was released Sunday on bond, which had been set at $3,500, but has “not been cleared” in the investigation into the two shootings, police said.

Neither Gleason nor his family responded to ABC News’ request for comment.

Coppola said he was not aware if Gleason had any previous criminal record, and a background check showed only a traffic violation that had been dismissed by the court from earlier this year. Police declined to say whether there are other persons of interest in the case, citing the ongoing investigation.

“Being that the investigation is ongoing, investigators are diligently working to have these homicides solved,” Coppola said.

Police said Cofield, who was homeless, was killed on Tuesday. Smart was shot on Thursday while he was on his way to work at a cafe.

The district attorney’s office had not responded Monday to ABC News’ request as to whether Gleason has legal representation or when he is due to appear in court on the two drug charges.</s>(Reuters) - A 23-year-old white man was arrested on Tuesday and will be charged with murder in the shooting deaths of two black men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, local and state authorities said at a news conference.

Kenneth Gleason is accused of carrying out the killings on Sept. 12 and Sept. 14. Local media reported that police have said the killings may be racially motivated, but officials on Tuesday would not confirm that.</s>Police believe the slayings of two black men in Louisiana were likely racially motivated and said Sunday they have a suspect — a 23-year-old white man — in custody.

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Kenneth Gleason of Baton Rouge is being held on drug charges, but authorities do not yet have enough evidence to charge him with murder, Baton Rouge Sgt. L’Jean McKneely told The Associated Press.

“There is a strong possibility” the shootings could have been racially motivated, McKneely said.

McKneely said shell casings from each killing matched, and a car belonging to Gleason fit the description of the vehicle police were seeking. He said police had collected other circumstantial evidence but wouldn’t say what it was.

Police say the shootings happened about 5 miles apart. The first occurred Tuesday when 59-year-old Bruce Cofield, who was homeless, was shot to death, the Baton Rouge Advocate reported.

The second happened Thursday when 49-year-old Donald Smart was gunned down walking to work, The Advocate reported.
Two African-American men are killed in separate incidents near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and a third home is shot at in what local and federal officials call racially-motivated crimes. A local man is arrested on suspicion of the murders.