On November 7, 2015, 31-year-old Justin Niles Wright was tragically killed in a home invasion in Maplewood, Minnesota. Authorities were called to a residence on the 2200 block of Hazel Street at approximately 4:47 a.m. after receiving a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers found Wright with a gunshot wound to the upper portion of his body. Despite efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Wright's girlfriend, who was in a different part of the home during the incident, was unharmed and called the police.
The investigation revealed that the suspect likely entered the home through a forced entry by a back door. A discarded gun was found on a driveway near the home and was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for analysis. The case took a significant turn when Bradley James Cook, 35, of North Branch, admitted to participating in the botched burglary that led to Wright's death. Cook pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting burglary in the first degree. As part of a plea agreement, charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder were dismissed in exchange for his testimony against his accomplices.
Two other men were charged in connection with the crime. Brandon Lamar Cooper, 31, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and was identified as the individual who shot Wright. Ernest Donald Atchison Jr., 33, of St. Paul, faced charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder. During his plea hearing, Cook detailed how Atchison had informed him about 50 pounds of marijuana stored in the home's garage and sought someone to steal it. Cook, interested in purchasing some of the marijuana, contacted Cooper to participate in the burglary.
Cook recounted that he met with Cooper, Atchison, and two other men, and helped drive them to the house. He later picked up Atchison and another man as they fled the scene, who informed him that someone had been shot. Cook later spoke with Cooper, who admitted to shooting Wright. According to the criminal complaints, Wright was shot once in the chest when he confronted one of the intruders in the hallway, leading to his death from a bullet that struck his left carotid artery. Wright's girlfriend disclosed to the police that they were selling marijuana from the house, and she had informed some customers about the significant amounts of marijuana stored there.
