Walter Scott Cook was a 20-year-old man from Owings Mills, Maryland, with his life ahead of him. In the late summer of 2000, he was looking forward to a night out with friends, a simple plan that ended in a burst of unexplained violence, leaving his loved ones with decades of unanswered questions.
On the evening of September 6, 2000, Walter and his friends, Damany Michael Hughes, 24, and Michael Cunningham, were in Columbia, Maryland. They were waiting for someone to arrive so they could all head to a club in Baltimore. To pass the time, they hung out for a while at a basketball court behind the Waverly Winds Townhouse complex in the 5600 block of Cedar Lane. Nearby, a group of unknown men wearing hoodies were also gathered. Later, around 10 p.m., as Walter, Hughes, and Cunningham were near their vehicle in the parking lot, shots suddenly rang out.
Howard County police officers on foot patrol in the area heard the gunshots and responded to the scene.
They found a horrific sight: Walter Scott Cook had been shot in the head, and Damany Hughes had suffered a graze wound to his head. The third friend, Michael Cunningham, managed to escape the gunfire unharmed. According to court documents, Cunningham was chased by three males across Cedar Lane before he was able to get away. Hughes later told police that he did not see who fired the shots or where they came from. Walter was rushed to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he fought for his life for three days before succumbing to his injuries on September 9, 2000. Hughes was treated for his wound and released from the hospital.
The investigation by the Howard County Police Department initially seemed to progress quickly. Witnesses reported seeing a dark-colored van, possibly green, leaving the area after the shooting, as well as two women in a small silver or gray car. By the end of September 2000, police had made three arrests. Brothers Christopher Lee Cowan, 18, and Brandon Cowan, 16, both of Randallstown, along with 19-year-old Derris Travale Moore of Catonsville, were charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and reckless endangerment. Brandon Cowan was charged as an adult. Court documents revealed that investigators believed Brandon Cowan and Moore had acted as a distraction, circling the victims to draw their attention away from the gunman, identified by police as Christopher Cowan.
Despite these initial arrests and the theory of a coordinated attack, the charges did not lead to a conviction. The motive for the shooting was never publicly established by investigators, who stated they were unsure why the three suspects were in Columbia that night. The case eventually went cold, leaving the murder of Walter Scott Cook officially unsolved.
For more than two decades, the Howard County Police Department has kept Walter's case open. It remains listed on their active cold case files, a persistent reminder of a young life cut short. Investigators and Walter's family have not given up hope that someone will come forward with the missing piece of information that could finally bring justice.
In September 2022, on the 22nd anniversary of the shooting, Howard County officials announced a significantly increased reward for information. The Howard County Executive and the Police Chief are now offering up to $30,000 for tips that lead to a resolution in Walter Scott Cook's case and other unsolved homicides. The investigation remains active, awaiting the one crucial lead that will solve this enduring mystery. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Howard County Police at 410-313-3200.
