A quiet Easter Sunday in a St. Bernard, Louisiana neighborhood was shattered by a violent argument that tragically cut short the lives of two women. Mary Major, a 75-year-old grandmother, and her 55-year-old daughter, Trenelle Major Collins, were fatally shot inside their home on Centennial Drive on April 5, 2026. The alleged assailant was a member of their own family, 22-year-old Lee Collins III, Mary's grandson and Trenelle's son.
The events of that evening unfolded after a physical altercation broke out between Collins and his mother and grandmother. The argument escalated with unimaginable speed, culminating in Collins allegedly opening fire on his own family members. He is also accused of firing at his father, who was present at the scene but was not struck by the gunfire. The two women were rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to their injuries. The tight-knit community, which had been celebrating the Easter holiday with block parties and family gatherings, was left in a state of shock and disbelief.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Lee Collins III fled the scene. He managed to steal a white 2019 Ford stake bed truck from a local business and evade authorities. Law enforcement agencies, including the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, launched a manhunt for Collins, who they considered armed and dangerous. License plate readers and surveillance cameras tracked the stolen vehicle heading into Mississippi. Family members, reeling from the sudden and violent loss, made public pleas for Collins to turn himself in, expressing their confusion and heartbreak over the actions of a young man they described as having no prior history of violence.
The search for Lee Collins III came to an end two days later when he was apprehended in Mobile, Alabama. He was taken into custody and awaited extradition back to Louisiana to face charges for the double homicide. The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office announced that Collins would be charged with two counts of second-degree murder. The community now faces the long and difficult process of healing from a tragedy that turned a day of celebration into one of profound sorrow and loss.
