Man suspected of killing his parents is arrested following manhunt

Dakota Theriot (21) is suspected of shooting dead five people in Louisiana

Investigators work at the scene of a fatal shooting  in Louisiana, US. Photograph: Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP
Investigators work at the scene of a fatal shooting in Louisiana, US. Photograph: Hilary Scheinuk/The Advocate via AP

A 21-year-old man has been arrested after his parents were shot dead in their home in Ascension Parish, Louisiana.

Dakota Theriot (21) was detained in Richmond County, Virginia, on Sunday morning by Richmond County sheriff's office following a manhunt triggered by the killings.

Theriot will be transported back to Ascension Parish at a later date.

He had been identified by police as a "prime suspect" after Keith and Elizabeth Theriot were killed in their trailer in Gonzales on Saturday morning.

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Police who attended the scene said they were able to interview one of the victims before they died and that information led them to name the couple’s son as the suspect.

Three other people were also shot dead nearby in an incident being linked by police.

Billy Ernest (43), Summer Ernest (20), and Tanner Ernest (17) were found dead at their home.

A relative said she believes Theriot had recently started dating Summer Ernest.