Son of Chippewa Leader Is Charged in Shootings
CHICAGO — Louis Jourdain, the 16-year-old son of tribal leader Floyd Jourdain Jr., has been charged in connection with last week's shootings on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota that left 10 people dead.
The teenager -- who family members say was on the middle-school chess team and was friends with gunman Jeffrey Weise -- appeared in a closed federal court hearing Tuesday in Duluth, Minn.
Jourdain was arrested Sunday afternoon on the Red Lake Reservation, about 240 miles northwest of Minneapolis.
Authorities declined to say what role Jourdain may have played in the attack. But sources familiar with the investigation and speaking on condition of anonymity said authorities had been considering whether to charge the teen with conspiracy to commit murder.
Investigators arrested Jourdain after questioning several students. The sources said investigators uncovered e-mails and electronic documents that, among other things, showed Weise had discussed school shootings and armed attacks on the high school with others.
On a personal website, Floyd Jourdain described his son as "my pride and joy" who "always shares his school achievements with me."
In a statement issued Tuesday, the leader of the Red Lake Band of the Chippewa insisted that his son was innocent, calling him "a good boy with a good heart who never harmed anyone in his entire life."
"I know my son and he is incapable of committing such an act," wrote Floyd Jourdain, 40. "As events unfold, it will be proven that the individual who committed this horrible crime did so of his own choice and that he acted alone. I strongly believe that my son will be cleared of these charges."
Weise, 16, killed his grandfather -- a veteran tribal police officer -- and his grandfather's girlfriend March 21 before heading to Red Lake High School. There, he fatally shot five students, a teacher and a security guard before killing himself.
Seven others were wounded by Weise, who had a history of depression and was believed to have espoused Nazi philosophy in Internet postings. During the shooting, friends say, Jourdain was at the school, studying in the library.
On Tuesday, clad in baggy jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt, Jourdain was handcuffed and escorted by U.S. marshals into the federal courthouse. His father, who declined to discuss the matter outside of his statement, entered soon after.
