Walter Kyle Irving Cooley, 26, of Ayden, North Carolina, was killed in a shooting on July 20, 2022, at Le Le Convenient Mart on Lee Street. Ayden police responding to a report of a possible gunshot victim found two men shot at the scene; Cooley was pronounced dead there. The other victim, Keenan Damond Smith, 25, of Winterville, later died at ECU Health Medical Center.

Investigators identified 23-year-old Akyree Ronnell Collins-Smith of Greenville as a suspect. Collins-Smith was arrested in Durham with assistance from the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, and the State Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Apprehension Team. A candlelight vigil was held at the convenience store in memory of Cooley and Smith.

If anyone has information about what happened that night or knew Walter, please share tips with the Ayden Police Department.