A Gadsden man has been charged with first-degree murder in connection to a fatal shooting over the weekend. Ephrim O’Neal Cook, age 66, stands accused of the premeditated killing of 47-year-old Fredrine Booker, according to posts on the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department’s Facebook page.
Authorities, having responded to the incident outside Gadsden city limits where Cook allegedly shot Booker on Saturday, charged him also with possession of a handgun during the commission of a dangerous felony. As reported by WREG, Sheriff Troy Klyce described the episode as "a senseless tragedy that could have easily been prevented." The sheriff commended the rapid response of law enforcement, and the effort by the ambulance service, despite Booker's injuries proving too severe for her to survive.
Cook's criminal background includes charges of aggravated assault and failure to appear, for which he was out on bond at the time of the shooting. He is currently being held without bond at the Crockett County Jail. The investigation remains ongoing, and Cook is set to appear before a judge for arraignment. This development was further detailed by Action News 5.
In a statement provided to WBBJTV, Sheriff Klyce said, "Our investigators are hard at work gathering all the evidence related to this crime. I appreciate everything the ambulance service did for Mrs. Booker – unfortunately, the internal trauma was too severe to overcome." The Medical Examiner's Office has ordered that Booker be sent to Nashville for autopsy. Anyone with information pertaining to the crime is urged to contact the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department at (731) 696-2104, as the sheriff's department continues to piece together the circumstances surrounding Booker's death.
