Three sentenced in Warner Robins shooting death. ‘Senseless act of violence’
Three men admitted to their involvement in a 2023 Warner Robins shooting death, and on Thursday, were each sentenced to decades in prison, according to Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards.
Shadarrius Dyone Hogan, 24, was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter and possessing a firearm by a first offender probationer. These charges are based on an incident on Jan. 16, 2023, in which Hogan, alongside Vincent Maurice Winston, 22, and Chancellor Stephen Williams, 23, hunted down Michael Cooper and shot him multiple times, killing him, Edwards said.
Winston and Williams pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter and one count of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. They were sentenced to 25 years in prison, “conditioned upon their truthful testimony if called as witnesses in the trial of Hogan,” according to Edward.
Hogan’s trial was expected to start later this month, but he confessed on Thursday.
Victim and suspects argued before the shooting
Cooper, Hogan, Winston and Williams were in the same convenience store at 544 N. Davis Drive in Warner Robins, according to Edwards, who referenced video footage of the incident. Cooper confronted Hogan at the gas pumps. It is unclear what the argument was about, but the footage showed the argument getting heated, with Cooper producing a handgun, holding it by his side.
After the confrontation, Hogan left to pick up Winston and Williams, where they all drove around to “look for Cooper while armed with at least two handguns,” according to Edwards. They spotted Cooper on Ignico Drive and started chasing him. Williams and Winston shot Cooper’s car multiple times. Cooper was struck at least four times, “with one shot penetrating his lung and heart that ended up being fatal,” Edwards said.
Cooper attempted to drive himself to the hospital after being shot, but he crashed his car into a utility pole in front of a convenience store located at 699 N. Davis Drive, Edwards said. His handgun was recovered from the car, and further investigation revealed that he had not fired his gun during the chase.
“This was a senseless act of violence that played out on our city streets in view of the community and cost Michael Cooper his life. After an argument, these defendants armed themselves, hunted him down, and opened fire in traffic—endangering not only their intended target but everyone on the roadway that afternoon,” Edwards said. “Houston County will not tolerate reckless gun violence.”
