Eagle Springs Man Faces First Degree Murder Charge

As of Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Gregory Cooper

An Eagle Springs man is facing a first degree murder charge in connection with the Tuesday shooting death of an individual, according to Moore County Sheriff's officials.

The incident occurred on Community Road.

Gregory Cooper, 51, of the 100 block of Eagle Crest Road, is charged also charged with attempted first degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Moore County Sheriff's deputies received a call at 7:23 p.m. Tuesday of a shooting that occurred off Community Road in the Eagle Springs area of Moore County, according to a release from the Sheriff's office.

When deputies arrived at the scene they located the victim Ajul Opata Cole a 32 year old male who resides off Hwy 705 in the Eagle Springs area. Emergency Medical Personnel arrived shortly after Deputies and pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

Investigators arrived on the scene and interviewed witnesses, they advised a black male who also resides in the community approached the victim with a weapon. A short verbal altercation took place and the black male shot the victim and then attempted to shoot another man, identified as Eric Powell, 24, who resides off Bensalem Church Road, Eagle Springs, but the gun failed to fire, sheriff's officials said.

Shortly after the shooting deputies and investigators arrested Cooper.

He was placed in the Moore County Detention Center under no bond with his first court appearance scheduled for Aug. 6, 2012 in Moore County District Court in Carthage.

More like this story

DaveyNC 10 months ago

Community Road needs to have martial law imposed on it.

emb6683 10 months ago

<p>Fayobserver.com also states that the report from Moore County Sheriff's office said that the shooting was drug related.

clarabelle 10 months ago

I wonder if they ever consider the ramifications before murdering someone. Hopefully he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.........

FightFireWithFire 10 months ago

<p>"Fayobserver.com also states that the report from Moore County Sheriff's office said that the shooting was drug related."

Ya' think?

Mark106 10 months ago

Who is supposed to pay for him to spend "Life behind Bars"? It was witnessed, cut & dry, Fry him!

dw22805 10 months ago

I agree with mark. In prison he would probably live to be 80. I believe it cost $70000+ a year to keep a inmate up now. That would be close to $2,000,000 by the time he died. Light him up like a Christmas tree!

kana69 10 months ago

Eaglesprings is a known drug area I am one of the few whites in the neighborhood..... community road is known for the sells of crack among other things. Cooper was when of the most known crackheads in the area and were this shooting took place was where all the dealers hang out....drug related I think so.....if moore county sheiffs would do there job this may not have happened I watch police drive up and down the road non stop almost every day even watched them run in a few houses but the people they bust always get right back out and do it again.....this is the second shooting at a known drug area in the past few month.........