Saturday shooting leads to 9 counts of attempted murder
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
An Atmore man remains behind bars without bond this week, charged with nine counts of attempted murder and numerous other offenses after a Saturday (May 28) shooting at an Ann Street residence left three people wounded.
Atmore Police Chief Chuck Brooks said this week there is “nothing new” to report as APD investigators try to unravel the circumstances that led to the shooting, which took place shortly after 8:30 a.m.
Atmore Police Sgt. Darrell McMann reported that Kelvin Bernard Cooper, 45, was taken into custody and charged with nine counts of attempted murder, nine counts of reckless endangerment, 10 counts of terroristic threats, one count of certain persons forbidden to possess a gun, and one count of possession of crack cocaine.
According to police reports, officers were sent to the residence in response to a report of shots fired. Police arrived to find that three people, including one with whom Cooper had earlier been involved in a dispute, had been hit with pellets from a shotgun.
Brooks declined comment on what might have been the motive for Cooper’s action.
There were 10 people in the house, including Cooper, when the argument broke out. Police say Cooper left but returned a few minutes later in his vehicle and told everyone there he was going to come back and kill each of them.
Cooper returned a few minutes later and reportedly yelled, “All of you are about to die” before firing the shotgun several times into the house from the open window of his vehicle.
Cooper fled but was spotted by a patrol officer on Union Street, where he was taken into custody. He drew his 10th terroristic threat charge when he threatened to kill the officer who arrested him.