Idaho man charged with 4 counts of murder in shooting deaths of his neighbors, including one minor

Jun 20, 2023 | 2:18 PM

KELLOGG, Idaho (AP) — A northern Idaho man has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and burglary after prosecutors said he broke into his neighbors’ home and shot and killed the people there, including a minor.

Majorjon Kaylor, 31, of Kellogg, was arrested Sunday night shortly after the shooting in the small mining community.

A magistrate judge identified the victims as Kenneth Guardipee, Kenna Gaurdipee, Devin Smith and an unnamed juvenile during Kaylor’s first court appearance on Tuesday. The family lived in the same multi-home building as Kaylor.

If convicted, Kaylor could face the death penalty. He is being held without bond and has not yet entered a plea.

Few details have been released about the shooting, and authorities have not said what they believe Kaylor’s motive may have been. But prosecuting attorney Benjamin Allen said the crime was “relatively horrific” and noted that one of the victims was a child. He also said Kaylor admitted the killings when he was interviewed by police.

“Admissions were ultimately made to the offenses charged,” Allen told Shoshone County Magistrate Judge Keisha Oxendine during Tuesday’s court proceeding.

“We see a crime which was committed in a relatively horrific manner in regards to the nature of the allegations, the manner in which it was carried out, and the method in which was utilized by the defendant in the course of his actions,” Allen said.

A preliminary hearing in the case has been set for July 3.

The Shoshone County dispatch center received a 911 call around 7:20 p.m. Sunday indicating that multiple people had been killed. Law enforcement officers found four people dead of gunshot wounds, and they detained Kaylor.

“This is a tragic situation that will affect the Kellogg community. Detectives continue working to establish a timeline and what led to the shooting,” Lt. Paul Berger, a detective with the Idaho State Police, said in a news release on Monday.

The Associated Press