Five teenage suspects have been apprehended on murder and robbery charges after a man was shot in his southeast Portland home and later died, according to Portland Police.
According to PPB, officers responded to a shooting on SE Ramona St at SE 92nd Ave on Nov. 1 at roughly 12:30 a.m. and discovered 56-year-old Kevin Cooper with several gunshot wounds.
Cooper later died from his injuries on December 12.
Investigators believe five individuals stormed into Cooper’s home and shot him in front of his family. The individuals were also allegedly tied to robbery crimes.
According to PPB, SERT and Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) officers arrested Zyaire E. Carter, 19, and Ty’Davion C. Burton, 18, on unrelated counts of attempted murder, assault, robbery, and unlawful use of guns from incidents prior to Cooper’s death on November 7.
Then, on Jan. 6, SERT and CNT executed three warrants, resulting in the arrest of two other suspects—identified as 18-year-old Jayden J. Sarinana and a 17-year-old juvenile by PPB—who were linked to robberies that occurred before to Cooper’s death.
A Multnomah County Grand Jury later indicted Carter, Burton, Sarinana, and 18-year-old Jordan C. Perkins for Cooper’s murder.
According to PPB, Perkins was arrested on February 5 in coordination with the United States Marshals Service.
Carter, Burton, Sarinana, and Perkins are being jailed at Multnomah County Detention Center on accusations of murder, assault, burglary, and unauthorized use of a weapon.
The 17-year-old is also being held at the juvenile detention center on counts of murder, assault, burglary, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Local residents are still processing the incident.
“What I hear from the people around here is that it happened a while ago, but there’s still tears and a lot of mourning going on,” Oko told me. “It primarily affects those who do not deserve it. “It’s sad and scary to hear about what he did for the community and neighborhood,” the speaker said.
Stephanie Hazeem agreed.
“I’m glad [the suspects] aren’t out anymore,” she told me. “From what my old roommate told me about [Cooper] … he was a really nice guy, and he couldn’t understand why he would be targeted.”
Albert, Cooper’s older brother, was unprepared for an on-camera interview. However, he told Fox 12 that he is grieved by his brother’s murder, describing him as a “God-fearing man who did everything right.” They lived next to each other and worked together at a local glass firm.
He stated that the family has no knowledge of the suspects and that the shooting was a random act.
The five accused will appear in court for hearings and trials in this case over the following few months. According to PPB, the victim’s family wishes the community to know that Cooper was a grandfather, a pastor in his local church, and committed to his family.
“The death of Kevin Cooper is a tragedy in every way,” Chief Bob Day said. “While nothing can bring him back, I sincerely hope that these arrests are a step in healing for his family. My sincere thanks to the detectives, criminalists, officers, and others who responded to this terrible call and did the tremendous investigative work required to safely get these dangerous suspects into custody. This work is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to reduce crime and the fear of crime in Portland. I also appreciate our partners at the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office and the U.S. Marshal’s Service for their crucial roles in this case.”
Police say the five suspects are still being probed for other robberies and might face more charges.
Anyone with information on this or any other case involving these suspects is asked to contact [email protected] or 503-823-0479, referencing case number 25-299606.
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