In the late summer evening of August 21, 2020, tragedy struck in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, forever altering the lives of a family and community. On that Friday, at approximately 6:30 p.m., police responded to a call of a shooting at an apartment complex on Plum Creek Court. Upon their arrival, they discovered two men suffering from gunshot wounds. One of these men was 24-year-old Darryl E. Cooper Jr., a Black male who, despite his injuries, was still clinging to life.
Tragically, he was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head. The second victim was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.
Darryl, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, had made a life for himself in Radcliff, Kentucky. He was a graduate of John Hardin High School, where he had been a member of the football team. His life, full of promise and remembered by friends for his friendly and smiling nature, was cut short in a moment of violence. He attended All Nations Worship Center and was a beloved son, brother, and friend.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led to a suspect. Within hours of the incident, the Radcliff Police Department conducted a traffic stop and arrested 20-year-old Anthony Witherspoon of Radcliff. An altercation at the apartment where Witherspoon was present reportedly preceded the shooting when Cooper and the other man arrived. A search of Witherspoon's vehicle uncovered marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Witherspoon was subsequently charged with murder for the death of Darryl Cooper. In addition to the murder charge, he faced counts of first-degree assault in connection with the injuries to the second victim, tampering with physical evidence, and trafficking in marijuana. Following his arrest, Witherspoon was booked into the Hardin County Detention Center. The Elizabethtown Police Department publicly lamented the senselessness of the act that took a young man's life and left another fighting for his.
