A South Portland man pleaded guilty on Monday to killing a mother and father in front of their children in Westbrook.
Marcel Lagrange Jr. shot and killed 37-year-old Brittney Cockrell and 41-year-old Michael Hayter, both of Westbrook, in a parking lot near the intersection of Main and Bridge streets in Westbrook on June 19, 2023.
According to police, the couple’s two children, ages 11 and 7 at the time, witnessed their parents’ murders. The children told police they had just returned to their vehicle when Lagrange appeared and shot them.
Responding officers saw Lagrange shoot Cockrell and chased him. During the chase, Lagrange injured a 75-year-old Westbrook man, according to police. Lagrange was eventually tackled by a bystander and held down by a crowd after the shooting.
There was no known connection between the victims and Lagrange, according to police.
On Monday, Lagrange pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, one count of aggravated attempted murder, one count of aggravated assault, one count of criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and one count of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
