Keon L. Cooper, a 27-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on November 3, 2019, in Carbondale, Illinois. Cooper was shot multiple times at Hangar 9, a popular venue in Carbondale. He was taken by ambulance to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries. The incident occurred in the 500 block of South Illinois Avenue, where Carbondale Police responded to a complaint of shots fired.
The investigation quickly identified two suspects: 21-year-old Tyren Johnson and 24-year-old Olando Sheron, both from Sikeston, Missouri. Arrest warrants were issued for both individuals. Johnson was apprehended on November 7, 2019, by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Sheron, however, fled the scene and evaded capture for nearly two years.
Sheron was eventually located and arrested on October 26, 2021, in Gardena, California, following a dangerous car chase that involved multiple law enforcement agencies. He was taken to the Los Angeles County Jail and later extradited to Illinois. In December 2022, Sheron was found guilty of first-degree murder after a jury trial in Jackson County, Illinois. He was sentenced to 80 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with an additional three years of Mandatory Supervised Release.
Johnson was also found guilty of murder on October 23, 2023, after a jury trial and is currently awaiting sentencing. The case was a significant one for the Carbondale community, highlighting the collaborative efforts of various law enforcement agencies, including the Carbondale Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, the Southern Illinois University Department of Public Safety, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
