Joris Bernard Cooper Jr., 22, was fatally shot in Raleigh on the night of May 18, 2024. The shooting occurred around 11:49 p.m. near the intersection of Sherman Avenue and Clanton Street as Cooper was walking to a Taco Bell on Western Boulevard. He was taken to a nearby hospital and later died of his injuries.

About an hour later, at 12:50 a.m., a separate shooting was reported at Gorman Street and Sherman Avenue, a few blocks from the first scene; a man with serious gunshot wounds was hospitalized and his identity has not been released. It remains unclear whether the two incidents are connected. Cooper’s mother, Tyrika Roary, described him as respectful and kind and said the family is devastated. No arrests have been announced; the Raleigh Police Department, assisted by North Carolina State University Police, is investigating.

If anyone has information about the shootings or was in the area that night, please contact investigators.