In a tragic incident unfolding in Kenosha, two young males have been charged with serious felonies following a deadly shooting that resulted in the death of a local high school student. According to FOX6 News, Carlito Ayala, 19, and a 16-year-old accomplice, Aaron Cumberland, stand accused of first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, substantial battery, and armed robbery among other charges.
The shooting, which took place on February 4, claimed the life of Isaiah Cooper, a 16-year-old Bradford High School student, with two other Indian Trail High School students being injured, one critically. Investigators told TMJ4 News that the suspects entered a dark SUV where the gun deal was taking place but intended on robbing the buyers, leading to the violence that ensued.
Details from the criminal complaint reveal how a planned gun sale turned into a fatal confrontation. Surveillance video captured the suspects, masked and gloved, approaching the SUV. During the attempted transaction, Cumberland allegedly assaulted a teen with the handgun before Ayala opened fire, striking Cooper, as mentioned in the CBS58 report. After Cooper was shot, video footage showed his body being lifted off the ground before the suspects fled back inside an apartment.
Upon searching the apartment, police uncovered an array of firearms, among these, the suspected murder weapon. Ayala, previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, is held on a $2 million bond. "A shooting occurred, people were dying, and anything less than $2 million would be inappropriate," the prosecution argued in court. Cumberland's bond was assessed at $1 million, with the prosecution remarking, "The reason why this is a $1 million cash bond and not a $2 million cash bond is in light of one, the defendant's age, and based upon, potentially, his criminal history." Both suspects are expected to appear for preliminary hearings in the coming week, as noted by CBS58.
