Octavius Z. Cooke, a 25-year-old Black man from Rocky Mount, Virginia, was shot in northwest Roanoke in the early hours of August 28, 2022. Officers answered a report of a shooting about 2:45 a.m. in the 1900 block of 10th Street NW and found Cooke with critical injuries in a parking lot. He was given emergency aid at the scene and taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where he later died.

A second man arrived at the same hospital with gunshot wounds that were not considered life-threatening. Preliminary information indicates the shooting followed an altercation outside a local business. No arrests have been announced and the investigation remains active.

If anyone has information about the events that led to Cooke’s death, please contact the Roanoke Police Department.