In the summer of 2024, the life of 34-year-old Idris Chance Ali Cooper was tragically cut short in Florence, South Carolina. Early on a Sunday morning, July 21st, Cooper was discovered in the parking lot of the Colonial Gardens apartment complex. He was found on the ground next to a running vehicle, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the prompt arrival of law enforcement, Idris Cooper was pronounced dead at the scene.
Remembered affectionately as 'Bubba' by his family, he was described as a loving, gentle giant with a heart of gold. A graduate of South Florence High School's class of 2009, where he played football, he was a devoted father to his children, Cen'seir and Ka'Mani Cooper.
The investigation into Cooper's death quickly led authorities to a suspect, 41-year-old Matthew Barry. A day after the discovery of Cooper's body, on Monday, July 22, 2024, officers from the Florence Police Department and deputies from the Florence County Sheriff's Office converged on the Brittany Place apartments. Their objective was to serve a search warrant and a murder warrant on Barry in connection with Cooper's shooting death. Upon their arrival, however, the situation escalated as Barry barricaded himself inside one of the apartments, initiating a tense standoff with law enforcement.
As officers attempted to negotiate his surrender, the confrontation took a violent turn. The incident evolved into an officer-involved shooting, during which an exchange of gunfire occurred. In the ensuing shootout, Matthew Barry was struck and was pronounced dead at the scene. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division was called in to investigate the officer-involved shooting, a standard procedure for such incidents. No officers were injured during the exchange of gunfire.
