Haitian national arrested for murder of Walmart employee in Pennsylvania

Destino Jean-Louis, 23, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder following the fatal shooting of 45-year-old Latosha Ann Cooper in a Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, Walmart parking lot. The incident occurred on October 21, around 11:30 p.m., as Cooper was leaving her shift.

According to investigators and surveillance footage, Jean-Louis allegedly hid in the parking lot, waiting for Cooper to exit the store. A masked individual approached Cooper and shot her in the head before fleeing on foot toward Philadelphia. Jean-Louis was subsequently apprehended by the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.

Authorities state that Jean-Louis and Cooper had a romantic relationship and were married in 2025. Investigators allege the motive may be linked to immigration status; Jean-Louis reportedly entered the United States in 2023 via the Biden administration’s CHNV parole program for Haitian migrants. Following a fallout between the couple, Cooper had reportedly withdrawn a petition that would have allowed Jean-Louis to remain in the country as her spouse.