In the spring of 2016, the life of 18-year-old Jamarko Antwon Willis Ward, a young male from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was tragically cut short. On the night of Saturday, March 12, 2016, Ward was at The Spot, a nightclub in north Tulsa, when gunfire erupted in the crowded venue. In the ensuing chaos, Ward was struck by a bullet. He was rushed to a local hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries two days later, on March 14, 2016.
Two women were also wounded during the shooting but were reported to be recovering.
The Tulsa Police Department quickly launched an investigation into the homicide. Their efforts to identify a person of interest led them to release information to the public, including images of the suspected shooter. This public appeal proved to be effective. On the evening of Friday, March 18, 2016, a man named Damian Cooper saw his own image circulating in news reports connected to the fatal shooting. Recognizing that he was the subject of a police manhunt, Cooper made the decision to surrender to authorities.
Damian Cooper turned himself in to the Tulsa Police and was subsequently arrested. He was booked into the Tulsa County Jail on a complaint of first-degree murder for his alleged role in the death of Jamarko Ward. In addition to the murder complaint, Cooper faced charges of assault and battery with a deadly weapon, stemming from the injuries sustained by the two women at the nightclub, as well as a firearms possession charge. The investigation revealed that the shooting had followed an altercation inside the club. Interestingly, it was reported that Cooper himself had been a victim of gun violence just four months prior to the incident at The Spot, having been shot in the head in what was described as a gang-related incident.
