A Memphis woman is now facing a second-degree murder charge in a 2025 shooting that left a man dead outside a local apartment complex. Police say Andrew Ladeartis Jackson showed up at a hospital on March 29, 2025, with a gunshot wound and was later pronounced dead after what investigators traced back to a shooting in the parking lot of the Hillview Apartments. The suspect, identified as Kimberly Cooper, is being held on a $500,000 bond.
According to WMC Action News 5, Memphis police say Jackson, Cooper, and another man were inside a vehicle in the Hillview Apartments parking lot when an argument broke out and ended with a single shot being fired. A third man at the scene told investigators he heard Cooper say, "I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know the safety was on," the station reported. That reported statement, along with the investigation that followed, is central to the murder charge filed this week.
Police details and charge
Memphis police have formally charged Cooper with second-degree murder, and Shelby County courts have set her bond at $500,000, per WMC Action News 5. Officials have released only limited information about the evidence in the case or the possibility of additional suspects, saying simply that the charge stems from the March 29, 2025, shooting.
What the charge means in Tennessee
State law defines second-degree murder as a knowing killing and classifies it as a Class A felony, according to Justia. Sentencing for a Class A felony is governed by the state's sentencing ranges, which vary with offender classification and prior convictions, and can run roughly from 15 to 60 years in prison under Justia.
Next steps
The case will now move through the Shelby County criminal courts, where prosecutors will decide whether to seek an indictment and set a preliminary hearing. As the case progresses, court filings and docket entries are expected to lay out more details about the evidence and upcoming court dates.
