Public Safety
Felon Convicted of Shooting Roommate in Hemet
BANNING (CNS) – A 40-year-old convicted felon who chased down and shot his roommate during an altercation that erupted over money at their Hemet apartment was convicted Thursday of attempted murder and other offenses.
Following three days of trial testimony, a Banning jury deliberated a half-day before finding Dante Trimell Cooper guilty of the March 2022 attack in the 300 block of West Kimball Avenue, near State Street.
Along with the attempted murder count, jurors convicted Cooper of being a felon in possession of a loaded gun and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Rene Navarro scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 3 at the Banning Justice Center. Cooper is facing more than 30 years in state prison.
He remains held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility.
According to Hemet police Lt. Nathan Miller, about 4:30 p.m. on March 2, 2022, the defendant was involved in a heated exchange with his roommate, identified only as a 42-year-old man with the initials “J.M.,” at their Kimball Avenue apartment.
Miller said the argument, connected to cost sharing, escalated into a fight, and the roommate “hit (the defendant) in the face and head and began running.”
“(Cooper) chased after the man and then shot him several times,” the lieutenant said.
Patrol officers reached the location within a couple of minutes and found the victim wounded but conscious, according to Miller.
He said the man pointed out Cooper, who was nearby and taken into custody without a struggle.
The victim underwent surgery at a regional trauma center and has since recovered.
Cooper was treated for his injuries and transported to jail.
Court records show that he has a prior conviction in 2002 out of San Diego County for voluntary manslaughter with a firearm. There was no indication of how much time he served in state prison.
Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.
By: Pristine Villarreal
April 27, 2023
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