Two African American men, Tahj Matthews, 23, and Maurice Holmes, 25, have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 66-year-old Lawrence Herr, a handyman installing a mailbox in Kenner, Louisiana.
The suspects were apprehended only three hours after the shooting, thanks to the police's ability to track their vehicle, a silver Mercedes, through license plate reader cameras. During a hearing on Tuesday, a detective revealed that the suspects had confessed to wanting to "kill a white person."
Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley has stated that the suspects may face hate crime charges in addition to the murder charges. He warned other potential criminals that the Kenner Police Department would relentlessly bring them to justice.
Conley described the shooting as a "heinous drive-by assassination of a kind, caring man who was helping others." He added that he would push for the death penalty if the court upheld the charges of first-degree murder.
"This was a textbook crime apprehension," Conley said. "I am proud of the work of our detectives and police who pieced together the evidence and followed its trail to take dangerous criminals off our streets."
The murder of Lawrence Herr has shocked the Kenner community, with many expressing condolences to his family. Herr was known for his kindness and willingness to help others, and his death left a void in the community.
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