Jury Finds Cooper Guilty of Murdering 16-Year-Old Girl at Gas Station

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found Shaetavia Cooper guilty of Second-Degree Murder for the shooting death of a 16-year-old girl. With the verdict, Cooper faces up to life in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Tatiana Salvador will sentence Cooper at a later date.

On July 18, 2020, the victim and Cooper were both in the checkout line at a Westside gas station when they got into an argument. The victim spat in the direction of Cooper, and Cooper replied “I got something for you!” Cooper walked out of the store to her car and asked her sister to grab her purse from inside her car, which held her firearm. As the victim walked out of the store, the two continued to argue. The victim’s mother held her daughter back from fighting with Cooper, and Cooper pulled out her firearm. Cooper then spat towards the victim just before raising her firearm and shooting the victim in neck. First responders transported the victim to the hospital where she died from her injuries. Cooper was taken into custody, and during her interview with investigators, she admitted she did not see the victim with a weapon, and she could have walked away from the situation. Video surveillance from the gas station captured the argument and shooting, which shows the victim never touched Cooper before she was shot and killed.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys LaTesha Campbell and Korey Milo.