On the afternoon of July 8, 2024, violent events unfolded in the parking lot of a convenience store in the Norwood Court area of St. Louis County, Missouri. Authorities responded to reports of gunfire around 3:15 p.m. at a business located at 5215 Lucas and Hunt Road. Upon arrival, first responders discovered 20-year-old Dennis Cooperwood Jr. suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds.
He was transported to a local hospital for emergency treatment but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
The investigation, led by St. Louis County Police detectives, revealed that the shooting was allegedly precipitated by a narcotics transaction. According to court documents and police statements, the meeting had been arranged by a third party. Surveillance footage and witness accounts indicated that Cooperwood and another individual were present at the gas station when the violence occurred. It is alleged that as Cooperwood exited a vehicle and turned away, the shooter opened fire, striking him multiple times.
Law enforcement identified two suspects in connection with the homicide. Unice Hobby IV, a 25-year-old man from Belleville, Illinois, was identified as the alleged shooter. Police utilized surveillance video to track the license plates of the vehicle involved back to Hobby. He was arrested in Illinois on July 24, 2024, and subsequently charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. He was ordered held without bond.
Months later, in October 2024, prosecutors charged a second suspect, 26-year-old Deshawn Johnson of Florissant, Missouri. Investigators allege that Johnson played a key role in orchestrating the fatal meeting to facilitate a drug deal between Hobby and Cooperwood. Johnson faces charges of second-degree murder and delivery of a controlled substance. At the time of his charging, he was being held on a $300,000 cash-only bond.
