In the quiet community of Gresham, South Carolina, the life of 33-year-old Christopher Cooper, a Black male, was tragically cut short on September 20, 2023. On that day, he and 35-year-old Charles White Jr., both of Mullins, were discovered deceased inside a vehicle on Bennett Loop. The initial uncertainty surrounding their deaths gave way to a grim reality as the Marion County Coroner's Office ruled both fatalities as homicides.
Christopher Leron 'Coop' Cooper, born on January 7, 1990,
was a 2008 graduate of Mullins High School. Remembered as a dedicated and loving father, his death sent ripples of grief through his family and community. The investigation into the double homicide quickly became a priority for the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities revealed that the double homicide was connected to another shooting that had occurred a day earlier at a residence on Bug Trail Road in Gresham, suggesting a possible escalation of violence in the area. In the weeks that followed, investigators worked to piece together the events that led to the deaths of Cooper and White.
A significant development in the case came on October 10, 2023, when the Marion County Sheriff's Office announced an arrest in connection with the double murder. While the sheriff's office did not immediately release the suspect's name, subsequent news reports identified the individual taken into custody as Quantavious Fowler. Fowler's arrest was initially for the shooting on Bug Trail Road. At the time of the announcement, law enforcement officials indicated that the investigation was ongoing and that more information would be forthcoming. However, further details regarding specific charges against Fowler for the murders of Christopher Cooper and Charles White Jr., as well as any subsequent trial or conviction, have not been made publicly available.
