A Columbus man will spend the rest of his life in prison after a Lowndes County jury convicted him Friday of first-degree murder.
Randall Cooper Jr., 22, was charged in the December 2013 shooting death of 23-year-old Virgil Harris.
Cooper reportedly shot Harris with a .40-caliber handgun as the victim was getting out of a vehicle at 21st Street North in the early morning hours of Dec. 20. He’s accused of shooting Harris several more times as the victim lay on the ground.
The night of the shooting, Versha Lovelace testified she was giving Harris a ride to Sandfield, while Cooper and a man named Tevin Harris rode in the backseat. Along the way, Lovelace said, the victim became belligerent and started cursing at the others in the vehicle. She said the victim later asked her to let him out on 21st Street North and she obliged.
After the shooting, Cooper got in the driver’s seat of the vehicle and drove to an area near Propst Park, where he and Tevin Harris fled on foot. Lovelace returned to the scene and cooperated with police.
Cooper’s attorney, Steven Wallace, framed a self-defense argument, claiming his client acted out of fear for his safety. On Thursday, Tevin Harris testified the victim had a .380-caliber handgun in the car that night, and he had threatened to shoot everyone in the car.
Lovelace, however, said she never saw a gun and never felt threatened.
“There were a lot of shots, and that laid against (Cooper) hard in this case,” Wallace told The Dispatch after the trial concluded. “But this was a jury of 12 citizens of Lowndes County, Mississippi, and they made their decision.”
Assistant District Attorney Scott Rogillio, who prosecuted the case, credited the Columbus Police Department’s investigation with compiling the evidence needed for Cooper’s conviction. He said the victim’s family was satisfied with the verdict.
“I’m very pleased for the victim’s family’s sake that they were able to get a sense of justice,” Rogillio said.
Wallace said he is preparing Cooper’s appeal.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
