'He shined bright': Killed by a bullet, local teen was just trying to be 'a regular kid'

Shawn Cooper Jr., a student at Godby High School known for his kind heart and a talent for mechanical work, left his house with a buddy Monday afternoon to hang out down the street.

But Shawn, who turned 18 two weeks ago, never made it back home. Around 5:30 p.m. Monday, he was shot at a residence on Peachtree Drive just a few doors down from where his family resides. He died at the scene.

Jaron Johnson, 17, a close friend who lives with Shawn's family, said the two of them were sitting on the porch of a neighbor’s house, waiting for a friend to come out. Another teenager, who they met the day before and had offered to sell them his handgun, was there too, Jaron said.

In an interview the day after the shooting, Jaron said he and Shawn were looking down at their cellphones and watching Instagram videos when a gunshot rang out. He said he never saw the other boy raise the weapon or pull the trigger.

Shawn yelled out that he’d been shot, ran into the street and collapsed. Jaron picked him up and tried to carry him home but couldn’t make it the whole way. He ran back to the house and told everyone what had happened before going back to his friend's side.

“His last words to me were, ‘I’m dead,’ ” Jaron said.

On Tuesday, the Tallahassee Police Department announced the arrest of a 17-year-old boy, Immanuel Grant-Hayes, on a charge of manslaughter in Shawn's death. In a case update posted online, TPD said Grant-Hayes “manipulated a firearm and inadvertently shot one of the men sitting nearby.”

TPD consulted with the State Attorney’s Office before obtaining an arrest warrant. Grant-Hayes surrendered himself and was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.

“This swift arrest is a testament to the agency's commitment to working tirelessly to apprehend violent offenders and bring justice to victims and their loved ones,” TPD said.

Family members who gathered at the house were in mourning and on edge Tuesday afternoon before the arrest was announced. Shawn's aunt, Lori Keigans, told the Tallahassee Democrat that the boy who shot her nephew had threatened another young man at a nearby smoke shop a couple of hours before the shooting. She said she’s not convinced the shooting was an accident.

“I want to have compassion because that’s my heart,” she said. “But at the same time, I want justice for my nephew.”

'Best big brother I could have hoped for'

Shawn, whose nickname was “Tunk,” was born and raised in Tallahassee. He attended Riley Elementary and Griffin Middle schools and was a sophomore at Godby. He loved hunting, fishing and being in the woods or out on the water.

A fan of race cars, Shawn had a knack for putting together and repairing anything on four wheels, his family said. He pulled a moped out of the trash and put it back together. When his dad’s pickup GMC truck broke down, he figured out before anyone else that it needed a new water pump. His latest project was putting together a four-wheeler that had been stripped to the frame.

“He helped me with anything, doing mechanic work or whatever,” said his father, Shawn Cooper Sr. “That was his getaway place and that’s really what made him happy. He loved (to) get things running and make them go fast.”

Shawn, who had two sisters, also helped his family make ends meet. He and his dad, a handyman who has been out of work, mowed lawns and salvaged scrap together. The family started a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral and burial expenses.

“He was the best big brother I could have asked for,” said his younger sister, Mariyah Cooper, 14, as she wiped tears from her eyes. “He taught me how to ride bikes and swim.”

Jaron said he met Shawn after moving to town a year ago and they became fast friends. They enjoyed hanging out and playing Call of Duty together on their phones.

“He was funny, really goofy,” Jaron said. “He was always laughing. There was never a dull moment.”

He said that he and Shawn met Grant-Hayes the day before he became the ninth victim of fatal gunfire this year. Grant-Hayes had a pink and gray handgun with what they thought was a “toy” clip and tried to sell it to them, but they didn’t buy it. Jaron said Grant-Hayes had the gun out again shortly before the shooting.

“It was very scary,” Jaron said. “It was overwhelming. It’s traumatizing to have your brother’s blood on you.”

'He was my only boy'

Keigans, his aunt, recalled a time during the pandemic when she lost her home and was sitting in her truck outside his house crying. Shawn wiped the tears from her eyes, hugged her and told her that God would provide her a place to lay her head that was safe and warm.

“He literally told me that like he was a grown-up,” she said. “I just don’t understand how he could be gunned down by his house. He tried to help anybody and encourage people even though he was stuck in a trap ... where kids get guns and they get in gangs and you ain’t go no choice.”

Shawn’s family said he had been pressured to join a gang but that he resisted. Keigans said he had a learning disability and “was just trying to be a regular kid” and stay out of trouble. But other kids would jump him and start fights at school to the point where police had to be called.

His mom, Merrie Cooper, said he “loved Jesus” and that God was “everything to him.”

“He was a faithful child,” she said. “He was my only boy. If he didn’t have money, he’d (mow) a yard and make it. Literally he was the man of the house. He was radiant. He shined bright.”

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee shooting victim: Godby teen Shawn Cooper 'shined bright'