Kevin Len Cooper loved his family and his faith. He worked as a minister in Portland, Oregon, and felt personally called to share his experience with others. Sadly, Cooper’s life ended in December 2025, a month after he was injured in a shooting. Cooper guarded his grandchild from gunfire, ultimately sacrificing himself. On February 24, 2026, police announced the arrest of five teenage suspects in connection with Cooper’s death. Hopefully, now his family can begin to heal from this months-long nightmare.
Intruders reportedly shot Cooper during a home invasion in the 9300 block of Southeast Ramona Street in Portland around 12:30 a.m. November 1. Cooper’s brother, who asked to remain anonymous, told KOIN the teens broke into his home pretending to be police officers. The grandfather ran to protect his 4-year-old grandchild and wound up shot multiple times.
“Since the shooting … Detectives with the Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST) have been pursuing leads, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and conducting other investigative work to identify who was responsible for the crime,” the Portland Police Bureau shared in a news release. “They determined that five suspects invaded Mr. Cooper’s home and shot him in front of his family members.”…