An Idaho man has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary after breaking into a neighbor’s home and fatally shooting four people, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The man, Majorjon Kaylor, 31, of Kellogg, a town of about 2,300 in the state’s northern Panhandle, was arrested Sunday evening shortly after the shooting, according to a report. statement of the Idaho State Police.
Although authorities did not give a specific motive for the attack, they did say that it had occurred after a dispute between neighbors. The shooting came days after Mr. Kaylor’s family, who lived in a duplex apartment above the victims, accused one of the victims, Devin Smith, 18, of indecent exposure, according to an affidavit from the state police
The Shoshone County Dispatch Center received a 911 call about 7:20 p.m. Sunday that several people had been shot inside a residence in the 500 block of West Brown Avenue, it said the police. Officers arrested Mr Kaylor at the scene.
In addition to Mr. Smith, state police on Tuesday identified the other victims as Kenneth Guardipee, 65; Kenna Guardipee, 41; and Aiken Smith, 16.
Five days before the shooting, Mr. Kaylor’s wife reported seeing Devin Smith completely naked and masturbating in front of her and one of their minor daughters through a window, according to a signed affidavit by State Police Detective Justin Klitch. The Kellogg Police Department responded and recommended to the Shoshone County District Attorney’s Office that Mr. Smith was charged with indecent exposure, Police Chief Paul Twidt told The Associated Press.
An online court database showed no charges against Mr. Smith as of Tuesday evening, and a call to the local district attorney’s office was not immediately returned.
After his arrest, Mr Kaylor told police he had confronted Kenneth Guardipee, Devin Smith’s grandfather, and his mother, Kenna Guardipee, because he was “very upset that they didn’t seem to take his concerns seriously with Devin Smith.”
Mr. Kaylor told investigators that he then “spoiled,” “lost it” and “did something about it,” according to the affidavit.
Investigators found the bodies of Kenneth and Kenna Guardipee outside near the back entrance of their apartment. Devin Smith and Aiken Smith were found dead inside the apartment. All four had been shot in the head, according to the affidavit. A .45-caliber handgun was recovered at the scene.
On Tuesday, a judge ordered Mr. Kaylor held without bail in the Shoshone County Jail.
At the court hearing, Shoshone County District Attorney Benjamin Allen said the crime was committed in a “horrific manner.”
Lisa Chesebro, Mr Kaylor’s lawyer, declined to comment on the charges on Tuesday. Mr. Kaylor did not enter a plea. Another hearing is scheduled for July 3.
In Idaho, a charge of first degree murder can carry a maximum penalty of death.
“This is a tragic situation that will affect the Kellogg community,” Idaho State Police Lt. Paul Berger said in a news release Monday.
