Cousin: Teen in family massacre just learned of stepmother

ELKMONT, Ala. – A cousin of an Alabama youth charged with killing five relatives says the slayings occurred days after the teen learned that the woman he considered his mother wasn’t a biological parent.

Daisy McCarty tells WAFF-TV she believes that revelation led to the slayings, which happened Monday in the north Alabama town of Elkmont.

Authorities say the youth told authorities he fatally shot his father, stepmother and three siblings who were 6 or younger.

McCarty tells the station the youth learned about his stepmother last week. She says he also had been acting out in recent months, by burning live animals and breaking into his school.

Authorities haven’t released the suspect’s name because of his age, and The Associated Press isn’t using the victims’ names to avoid identifying him.