Police: Maurice Louis Found Naked, Drinking Vodka After Killing 4 Family Members In West Philly Shooting
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A man accused of killing his mother, stepfather and two brothers, including a 7-year-old, was found sitting naked in a chair, drinking from a vodka bottle, with a shotgun case next to him, when police arrived at the West Philadelphia home. Police say 29-year-old Maurice Louis confessed to shooting and killing all four victims after a family incident.
Authorities had been called to the home on the 5000 block of Walton Avenue for a welfare check Wednesday afternoon after two of the victims didn't show up for work on Wednesday.
Responding officers say no one answered the door. With the help of fire personnel, they climbed into a partially open second-floor window. Police say Louis pointed them towards where they could find the bodies.
Investigators say the victims suffered catastrophic head wounds from a shotgun. Louis bought the shotgun similar to the Mossberg Maverick 88 Pump Action from Locks Philadelphia Gun Exchange in Northeast Philadelphia on Tuesday. A police source says the suspect brought it back to the family's West Philadelphia home while riding the El.
Louis' mother, 51-year-old Janet Woodson, was found by the front door. His stepfather, 56-year-old Leslie Holmes, was found in the dining room. His brothers, 7-year-old Leslie Woodson and 18-year-old Sy-eed Woodson, were discovered dead in the kitchen and a second-floor rear bedroom.
Sy-eed was a senior at Boys Latin High School where people who knew him are distraught.
"He was very smart and he was a very good student and he was loved by everyone here," O'nell Trand said.
"It's just heartbreaking. Because like we for people of color, especially in the streets, we look at our houses as someplace where we find at least somewhere we can go to get away from the violence that's outside," Anthony Morton said. "And so whenever I hear what happened with him, what happened in doors, it's like where can we really go if there's violence outside and there's violence in the house? What are we supposed to do now?"
Anthony added that Sy-eed had a passion for religion and wanted to become a minister.
"He wanted to bring others to Christianity and spread the light and the word," he said.
Sy-eed's brother, Leslie, was a second-grader at Discovery Charter School. Teachers say he was following in his brother's footsteps and showed signs of becoming a sports star.
"He did everything from dance to basketball. He was a great kid," school CEO Tonia Elmore said.
Acting Philadelphia Police Commissioner Christine Coulter says something happened within the family that set Louis off, prompting him to purchase a shotgun on Tuesday.
"He just obviously had some kind of hatred for family members or in that moment did and made a decision to kill them," Coulter said.
Seasoned investigators told CBS3 the scene was something out of a horror flick. It's believed Louis was lying in wait for each victim and used a birdshot in the shotgun. Police say the shots would have had to be at point-blank range for them to be lethal.
A family member told Eyewitness News that Louis had mental issues but police haven't confirmed it. Neighbors, however, described Louis as unfriendly and a little off.
"He was real reclusive and gloomy," one neighbor said.
Louis has been charged with four counts of criminal homicide and related offenses.
Coulter says he is cooperating with investigators in the case. Police continue to work towards a motive.
CBS3's Matt Petrillo contributed to this report.
