In the early hours of a Thursday morning in Conyers, Georgia, the life of 24-year-old Kyla Cooper was tragically cut short. A mother of two young children, a 4-year-old and a 5-year-old, Kyla had recently learned she was expecting another child. It was this news that she intended to share with her boyfriend, Rashad Thompson, when she arrived at his home on Golfview Terrace around 12:45 a.m. on June 20, 2024.
Upon her arrival, a confrontation ensued with another woman, Arkia Tate, who was also reportedly in a relationship with Thompson. The verbal argument quickly escalated, and Tate is alleged to have pulled out a firearm and shot Kyla. Neighbors reported hearing the argument and a gunshot, with one witnessing a car speeding away from the scene with its lights off. When authorities from the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office arrived, they found Kyla Cooper in the driveway with a fatal gunshot wound.
Law enforcement swiftly located and apprehended 25-year-old Arkia Tate. She was arrested and subsequently charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Rashad Thompson was also arrested at the scene on unrelated drug and weapons possession charges.
The family of Kyla Cooper expressed their profound grief, stating that she never had a chance to defend herself in the sudden and violent encounter. The investigation into the exact relationship between all three individuals and the precise motive for the shooting is ongoing, with authorities awaiting the results of an autopsy.
