A Princeton man has been indicted by the Caldwell County Grand Jury in connection with the October fatal shooting of 34-year-old Jerrod Cooper. 21-year-old Hector Pena faces charges of murder and attempted murder.
During a preliminary hearing in Caldwell District Court on November 3, a Princeton Police detective testified about the events leading up to the shooting, which he stated happened around 2:40 the morning of October 23rd. According to the detective, Pena and another man were walking along Beverly Lane when Cooper pulled up in a vehicle, stopped, got out, and took a couple of steps toward Pena, who then began firing.
The detective testified that Cooper sustained two gunshot wounds—one to his pelvic area and another to his head. He said Cooper was treated by medical personnel on the scene, then flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, where he died later that morning.
The detective also reported that no firearms or ammunition were found in Cooper’s vehicle during a search.
Authorities said Pena turned himself in to Princeton Police later that day, where he was taken into custody and charged with murder. He remains lodged in the Caldwell County Jail on a $1 million bond.
