On April 20, 2016, a violent altercation unfolded in the Academy neighborhood of St. Louis, Missouri, resulting in the death of 35-year-old Howard Cooper Jr. Officers from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department were dispatched to the scene following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Cooper suffering from a fatal gunshot wound.
The incident occurred during a confrontation that escalated into physical violence.
According to police reports, the sequence of events began when Cooper and another unidentified man allegedly engaged in a dispute with a resident at the location. Investigators determined that the verbal argument quickly turned physical, with Cooper and his accomplice accused of attacking the resident. Authorities stated that during the assault, the two men began punching and pistol-whipping the individual inside the home.
In the midst of the struggle, the resident produced a firearm and discharged it, striking Cooper. The 35-year-old male was pronounced dead as a result of the shooting. Police characterized the homicide as stemming from the home invasion or assault scenario where the resident acted in response to the attack. Following the incident, homicide detectives continued their investigation into the circumstances, but initial accounts pointed toward the resident firing in self-defense during the pistol-whipping incident. No further details regarding charges against the shooter or the status of the second suspect were immediately released in the aftermath of the investigation.
