On January 7, 2023, at approximately 9:45 p.m., deputies from the Robeson County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported shooting at a residence in the 200 block of Maple Leaf Drive in St. Pauls, North Carolina. Upon arrival, they discovered 26-year-old Amonte Montrel Blocker deceased from gunshot wounds. A second individual at the scene, a woman, had also been assaulted.
The subsequent investigation identified 25-year-old Trevion M. Cooper of St. Pauls as the primary suspect. Authorities issued warrants for Cooper's arrest, charging him with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. Additional charges included first-degree burglary, discharging a weapon in an enclosure to incite fear, and assault with a deadly weapon in the presence of a minor.
On January 9, 2023, at approximately 12:49 a.m., Cooper was apprehended by Robeson County Sheriff's Office investigators, SWAT operators, and the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force. He was taken into custody without incident and held at the Robeson County Detention Center without bond. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Blocker's death remains ongoing.
