In Gary, Indiana, a 22-year-old man named Brian Cooper lost his life on the evening of March 10, 2014. The young man, known to some as 'B-Coop,' was a graduate of Merrillville High School and a father to a young daughter. His life was cut short when he was fatally shot while sitting in the passenger seat of a car in what authorities described as an apparent shootout.
The incident, which also left two other men wounded, unfolded on a street in the Midtown neighborhood of Gary.
The investigation into Cooper's death revealed a tragic story of a robbery gone wrong. Prosecutors detailed a plan concocted by two individuals to rob Cooper of marijuana. The ensuing confrontation escalated to violence, leading to the gunfire that ended Cooper's life. When police arrived at the scene, they found him unresponsive in a car that had rolled to a stop after the driver was also shot. A loaded semiautomatic pistol was discovered on the floor of the vehicle.
Justice for Brian Cooper came through the relentless work of law enforcement and the judicial system. Two men were ultimately held accountable for their roles in his death. Charles A. Taylor was tried and convicted for the murder of Brian Cooper. In a decisive ruling, a judge sentenced Taylor to 147 years in prison for his part in the fatal shooting. A second man, Oshae Hampton, was also implicated in the crime. Hampton reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, pleading guilty to a charge of attempted robbery. As a key witness in the trial against Taylor, Hampton's testimony was crucial in securing the murder conviction. For his involvement, Hampton received a 13-year prison sentence.
