A Lakeland man previously convicted of providing false information to law enforcement in a capital felony has now been charged in federal court for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As connected to the 2020 Christmas Eve shooting that resulted in the death of Maebelle Cooper, according to WFLA News Channel 8.

Taqiy Lewis, a 27-year-old man from Lakeland, is facing federal charges years after the fatal incident that also left three other family members injured - namely Shawanda Lamones, Ralph Lamones Jr., and the 13-year-old A’Sasha Lamones, who all survived the attack; during a confrontation that spiraled out of an incident earlier in the day when a 15-year-old Ralph Lamones III was robbed at gunpoint while attempting to buy an iPhone in Simpson Park, also involving a subsequent altercation at the park and again at the Lamones' residence where shots rang out, as reported by FOX 13.

Security camera footage from the scene reportedly captured Lewis with a gun and prosecutors stated he was seen firing for several seconds before leaving the area; Lewis's identification came from an officer who recognized him and corroborating testimony from his own mother, coupled with incriminating social media posts displaying the gun allegedly used in the crime, detailed by WFLA News Channel 8.

The case, which initially went cold, resurfaced in 2023 during an unrelated investigation where Lakeland officers, along with ATF agents, found shell casings in Lewis's home matching those from the Cooper shooting scene, attributing to the breakthrough that led to federal charges against Lewis, revealed during a press conference by United States Attorney Roger Handberg, as noted by WTSP 10 Tampa Bay. While Lewis was previously looking at a potential release from prison in early 2026 for his unrelated conviction, these recent developments suggest that further incarceration is likely pending the outcome of this federal case.