A man arrested for killing a Tulane University police officer allegedly fired the fatal shots after an argument over wearing a mask at a high school basketball game, a report said.
John Shallerhorn was busted for fatally shooting Tulane Police Officer Martinus Mitchum on Friday night outside George Washington Carver High School in New Orleans, where the officer had been moonlighting as a security guard.
The officer had been ushering Shallerhorn out of the school after the suspect got into a fight with a school employee for not wearing a mask, WVUE reported on Sunday, citing police.
Shallerhorn allegedly shot Mitchum twice.
The suspect was arrested at the scene and later charged with murder of a policeman and robbery.
Before entering the school, Shallerhorn allegedly robbed a man of his chain in the parking lot, the report said.
“We are deeply saddened by the senseless and tragic death of TUPD Corporal Martinus Mitchum,” Tulane Police Chief Kirk Bouyelas said in a statement obtained by WVUE.
“Corporal Mitchum was a dedicated police professional who had a heart of service for the Tulane community,” Bouyelas said.