On a Monday afternoon in May, 45-year-old Tracey Louise Cooper was walking towards the front door of her home on 49th Street in Southeast Washington, D.C., when she was fatally shot. The incident occurred on May 16, 2016, at approximately 3:48 PM. A bullet, fired from a passing car, struck her in the arm and tragically pierced her lungs, aorta, and esophagus, causing her to fall from her front steps into her yard.
The shooting of Tracey Cooper happened less than three hours after another
fatal shooting just a few blocks away. In that earlier incident, 22-year-old Tayvon Cummings was shot and killed in an alley. Law enforcement officials began investigating a possible connection between the two murders, with some in the community speculating that Cooper's death may have been an act of retaliation for Cummings' murder, stemming from an ongoing feud between rival crews. A friend of Cooper’s believed she was collateral damage in a conflict she knew nothing about.
In the wake of her death, police searched the home Tracey Cooper shared with her 23-year-old son, Keith Cooper. Inside, they discovered a handgun, a rifle, ammunition, and cocaine. Keith Cooper, who was present at the house and visibly distraught after his mother's shooting, was briefly placed in handcuffs. He reportedly threatened to kill the person he believed was responsible for his mother's death while being interviewed by homicide detectives. He was later arrested on charges of making threats, and federal authorities also arrested him on drug and gun charges. While her son faced legal troubles, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Tracey Louise Cooper. Her case remains an unsolved homicide.
