On Christmas Eve, 2020 Maebelle Cooper, a mother and grandmother was shot and killed in the front yard of her home on the 1500 block of Amos Avenue. The violent incident also injured Cooper’s daughter, Shawanda Lamones, Ralph Lamones Jr, and Ralph and Shawanda’s then-13-year-old daughter.
For the past six years, the family has sought justice for their 70-year-old matriarch while healing from their own wounds. At a press conference held today, Jul 31, 2026 Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor provided an update on the investigation which linked the perpetrators to a 2023 mass shooting that is considered the worst in Lakeland’s history with 11 men injured.
Taqiy Lewis was previously arrested in February 2025 and is serving a 30-year sentence in federal prison on charges of federal gun violations. The gun used in the shooting that left Cooper dead was found in Lewis’ possession during the investigation of the 2023 shooting…