Vidarious Lakeieth Cooper, a 32-year-old African American man, was fatally shot at an apartment complex on Dogwood Street in Atlanta, Texas, shortly after 3 p.m. on December 31, 2021. Officers who responded to a 911 call found Cooper already deceased and he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police identified 26-year-old Da’Kyree Lamont Hawkins as the primary suspect and issued a murder warrant, describing him as wanted and armed and dangerous. Hawkins was arrested on January 7, 2022, in Texarkana, Texas, by a task force that included the U.S. Marshal Service and the East Texas Fugitive Task Force. Reports say the shooting followed an altercation between Cooper and Hawkins at the Country Place Apartments; investigators have not publicly identified a motive.

If anyone knew Vidarious Cooper, witnessed events at the Country Place Apartments that afternoon, or has information about the altercation, please come forward to assist the ongoing legal process.