In a tragic turn of events on October 10, 2020, six-year-old Doryan Bryant, a female, was killed in a shooting in St. Louis County, Missouri. The incident also claimed the life of her 40-year-old mother, Bernadetta Cooper. The violence erupted in a home in the 8800 block of Shannon Fox Circle.
The tragedy began with a confrontation earlier that day. Joseph Jones, who was Bernadetta Cooper's boyfriend of about eight months, was reportedly angry that the house was not tidy.
This argument escalated, and around 1:30 in the afternoon, police were called to the residence for a shooting. Investigators believe that Jones first shot and killed Cooper. He then turned the gun on her children. In an act of immense bravery, one of Cooper's other daughters fought back against Jones, an action that may have saved her other sister's life. Two of Cooper's other children were wounded in the attack but survived.
When police arrived at the scene, they found Jones still in the house. Family members reported that after the shootings, Jones sat on the living room couch and smoked a cigarette. Authorities recovered a. 40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol at the scene. Jones, who had previous felony convictions, was taken into custody.
Joseph Jones, then 43 years old, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, as well as first-degree assault and attempted first-degree assault. Despite a diagnosis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the court found him competent to stand trial. In February 2024, Jones pleaded guilty to the charges. As a result of his guilty plea, he was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 20 years.
