The 19-year-old charged with the nonfatal shooting that occurred during the Detroit fireworks in June made his first court appearance on Thursday.
Alphonso Cooper pled not guilty to assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to cause serious bodily harm, and five weapons offenses.
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Weeks after allegedly shooting two people on June 23, Cooper was charged with nine felonies, including two charges of attempted murder. Cooper fled the scene before being arrested two weeks later.
His defense attorney argued in the 36th District Court on Thursday against the prosecutor’s office’s request for a $500,000 bond.
Cooper’s attorney, Mohammed Nasser, said his family was working with the lawyer’s business to plan his surrender.
The family contacted my firm, contracted my services, and scheduled a surrender date. In the meantime, he has been brought into jail,” Nasser informed Magistrate William Burton.
Cooper had no felony convictions, according to the attorney, and he worked for a local business.
Dig deeper: However, assistant prosecutor Rhonda Haidar argued that Cooper’s weeks-long absence indicated his potential for flight.
“Mr. Cooper has three open larceny cases right now out of Romulus District Court with back-to-back offense dates from March of 2025,” Haidar told reporters.
Cooper, she claimed, fired into a crowd of people during the altercation, killing a 17-year-old guy from Van Buren Township and a 22-year-old woman from Ferndale.
The incident occurred at 10 p.m. near Larned and Randolph Streets when Cooper and the 17-year-old got into a fight, resulting in a shooting.
What’s next: Burton did not believe Cooper was a flight risk but rather a threat to the community, so he put his bond at $500,000.
A redetermination hearing for the bail has been scheduled on July 14.
