Shooter charged in soccer player's death
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BY AARON SANDERFORD/Lincoln Journal Star and wire reports
A 22-year-old Lincoln man was charged today with second-degree murder in the weekend shooting death of Nebraska soccer star Jenna Cooper.
Lucky Iromuanya also was charged with attempted second-degree murder for shooting 22-year-old Nolan Jenkins at the same party, which was being held at Cooper's home to celebrate the end of the spring soccer season. Iromuanya also faces two counts of using a weapon to commit a felony.
Second-degree murder is punishable by 20 years to life in prison. Attempted second-degree murder is punishable by one to 50 years in prison. The weapons charges are each punishable by one to 50 years in prison.
Lancaster County Attorney Gary Lacey said he decided against filing first-degree murder charges.
``I don't think we could establish sufficient premeditation,'' Lacey said.
Iromuanya was due to be arraigned this afternoon. Lacey declined to say immediately what amount he would ask the court to set for bond.
"It will be substantial,'' Lacey said.
Cooper, 21, a junior from Louisville, Ky., died Sunday night at an area hospital after being shot in the neck when an argument broke out at the party. The bullet was apparently aimed at Jenkins, a senior at Nebraska from Sidney, who was standing a few feet from Cooper when Iromuanya allegedly pulled out a .32-caliber handgun and fired from close range, police said.
That single bullet hit Cooper, damaging her carotid artery and lodging in her lung.
Authorities scheduled an autopsy for this morning. Her organs were harvested late Monday afternoon, officials said.
Iromuanya, 1925 N. 29th St., told police he felt intimidated and singled out by partygoers and had planned to fire only a warning shot. That shot first hit Jenkins, slicing through his scalp, speeding around his skull and exiting his skin.
Contrary to initial reports, it appears Cooper was 20 to 25 feet from the arguing men, closer to the house, Assistant Police Chief Jim Peschong said.
The bullet struck her in the throat. Several witnesses watched her fall and rushed to her aid.
Police later found Iromuanya carrying a two-shot, wooden-handled, Derringer-style pistol, the weapon investigators believe fired the fatal shot, Police Chief Tom Casady said.
Iromuanya was taken to Lancaster County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault, use of a weapon to commit a felony and carrying a concealed weapon. Lacey received the first set of police reports on the shooting Monday.
According to police and county court documents, partygoers confronted Iromuanya about shot glasses stolen from Cooper's house, 2540 S. 35th St.
Iromuanya told police he'd been shoved or hit in the chest at the first confrontation and was confronted again outside. He pulled a pistol from his jeans pocket and fired.
Cooper's brain functions stopped Sunday, but she remained on life support as late as Monday morning as doctors harvested her organs.
Jenkins remained in fair condition Monday at BryanLGH Medical Center West. He did not respond to an interview request, and his family could not be reached to comment.
At least one witness told police he went outside after hearing about the missing shot glasses and saw two men arguing. He saw one man pull the pistol and fire. The witness declined to comment Monday.
Iromuanya, who told police he'd fired a single shot to scare his accuser, jumped in a friend's sport utility vehicle and sped away.
Aroun Phaisan, who drove Iromuanya from the shooting, said he and Iromuanya were invited to the party by a mutual friend.
They'd been at the party about 30 minutes when a woman inside the house started asking who took her shot glasses, saying no one could leave until they'd been found.
"I started to become uncomfortable, and we decided to leave," Phaisan, 22, said Monday. "None of us took any glasses.
"We were ready to have them search us if they wanted to."
Outside, he said, he saw a blue-shirted man in an armlock with Iromuanya and pulled him off.
By then a crowd had gathered around Iromuanya, and while he was watching the man in blue, Phaisan heard a shot.
"After that, it was all a mad scramble."
Reach Aaron Sanderford at 473-7225 or asanderford@journalstar.com. Journal Star reporter Cindy Lange-Kubick contributed to this story.
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