A 20-year-old Oklahoma City man is accused of shooting and then decapitating his grandparents in their home, which was being used as a daycare for young children, police say.
Quinton Dashawn Laster was arrested Tuesday after his grandmother, Sharon Reed, 59, and her husband, 78-year-old James Reed, were found dead in their home in the northern part of the city, KFOR-TV reports.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Three Small Children Were Inside the Home at the Time of the Killings, Police Say
Police were called to the Reed’s home at around 2 p.m. local time, reports Fox Oklahoma City.
Inside, they found James and Sharon Reed dead after being shot and decapitated. In an adjoining garage to the home, officers found three small children who were there as part of a daycare that the Reeds were running at the house.
“Luckily, they weren’t injured in any way, shape or form,” Oklahoma City Police Sergeant Ashley Peters told KFOR.
2. Laster Was Found Outside the Home & Was Taken Into Custody
Police said responding officers found Quinton Laster outside of the home. He was taken into custody without incident.
Laster is being charged with two counts of first degree murder, reports News OK.
3. Sharon Reed Has Run a Daycare at the Home for the Past 2 Decades
Sharon Reed has run the daycare out of her Oklahoma City home for the past two decades, her sister told News 9.
“My brother-in-law was the best,” Brenda Jackson told the news station. “They got along good all the time.”
A neighbor called police to check on the couple just before 2 p.m. Tuesday. Laster spoke to the neighbor before she called police, but it is not known what he told her.
“I’m not sure exactly what words were exchanged with the neighbor, but the neighbor called 911,” Sergeant Ashley Peters told the Associated Press.
4. A Motive for the Killings Has Not Been Made Public
Police have not said what the motive for the killings was, or if there was a reason that Laster allegedly killed his grandparents.
Sergeant Ashley Peters said the murders remain under investigation and would no release further details, including where the Reeds’ bodies were found.
“We are not able to release where they were located as the investigation is still open, and that’s of evidentiary value,” Peters told the Associated Press.
Few details about Laster are available. Peters told reporters he had a history, but not an “extensive one” with Oklahoma City Police. He was arrested in February 2015 for misdemeanor assault and battery and was arrested as a juvenile, police said.
5. The Reeds Are the 3rd & 4th Decapitation Victims in Oklahoma in 16 Months
Sharon and James Reed are the third and fourth murder victims to be decapitated in Oklahoma in the past 16 months, according to KOKH-TV.
In September 2014, police said Alton Nolen attacked two co-workers at Vaughan Foods, beheading one before being shot by the COO of the company. He had previously been fired. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, the news station reports.
About one month later, 19-year-old Isaiah Marin was accused of murdering his friend, Jacob Crockett. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.