A nineteen-year-old from Romulus named Alphonso Cooper Jr. is facing serious legal trouble after authorities charged him with numerous felonies related to a shooting incident at Detroit's Ford Fireworks last month. The charges include two counts of assault with intent to murder, two counts of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, one count of carrying a concealed weapon, and four counts of felony firearm, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit.
According to ClickOnDetroit, the incident occurred on June 23, around 10 p.m., at the intersection of Larned and Randolph streets, an area outside the zone protected by metal detectors. Cooper and the 17-year-old male victim from Van Buren Township got into a dispute, possibly over a sum of $200. During the altercation, Cooper allegedly fired multiple shots, injuring the teenager in the legs and also hitting an innocent 22-year-old female bystander in the hand.
At the arraignment, Cooper pleaded not guilty to the charges. Despite his attorney, Mohammed Nasser's emphasis on his client's employment and community ties, Assistant Prosecutor Rhonda Haidar highlighted that Cooper's absence after the crime was evidence enough that he posed a flight risk. "Mr. Cooper has three open larceny cases right now out of Romulus District Court with back-to-back offense dates from March of 2025," explained Haidar, as detailed in the FOX 2 Detroit report. Haidar referred to the fact that, on the day of the fireworks, bullets were fired into a crowd, striking two individuals.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy condemned the violence, stating, "Bullets have no eyes, and it is extremely fortuitous that more fireworks attendees were not injured," according to coverage by CBS News Detroit. Despite differences in opinion between the defense and prosecution, the 36th District Court set Cooper's bond at $500,000, citing him as a danger to the community, but not necessarily a flight risk, after his family initiated contact with Nasser to arrange a surrender. Cooper's bond re-determination is scheduled for July 14, with further court engagements to follow later in the month.
