Prosecutors say Destino Jean-Louis waited outside the Cheltenham Township store before approaching Latosha Cooper after her late-night shift.
CHELTENHAM TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 23-year-old Philadelphia man has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his 45-year-old wife outside the Walmart where she worked, with investigators alleging he waited near the store before approaching her in the parking lot.
Destino Jean-Louis is charged in the Oct. 21 death of Latosha Ann Cooper outside the Walmart at Cedarbrook Plaza in Montgomery County. Authorities say Cooper had finished her shift and was talking with a co-worker near her vehicle around 11:30 p.m. when a masked man approached and opened fire. Cooper was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy the following day determined she died from multiple gunshot wounds, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Investigators say surveillance footage showed a masked person waiting near a bush with a view of the store entrance before Cooper came outside. According to an affidavit of probable cause described by several news organizations, the person remained near the store for roughly 30 minutes, then moved toward Cooper after she left the building. Police allege Jean-Louis approached her near her vehicle, shot her and fled toward Philadelphia.
Authorities identified Jean-Louis as a former employee of the same Walmart who had been in a relationship with Cooper. Records cited by investigators show the two were issued a marriage license in March 2025. According to the affidavit, co-workers told detectives the relationship later deteriorated and that the marriage was also connected to Jean-Louis’ effort to obtain legal immigration status in the United States.
Investigators said Jean-Louis, a Haitian national who came to the United States in 2023 through a humanitarian program, had sought to remain in the country. The affidavit says Cooper later withdrew a petition that could have supported his effort to remain in the United States as her spouse. Authorities allege Jean-Louis became upset after Cooper ended their relationship and stopped assisting with the immigration process. Those claims remain allegations contained in the criminal investigation and have not been proven in court.
Co-workers also told investigators that Jean-Louis had contacted Walmart employees in an effort to learn whether Cooper was working, according to the affidavit. Cellphone records reviewed by police allegedly showed repeated trips between the Philadelphia area where Jean-Louis was staying and the Walmart during the weeks before Cooper’s death. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that investigators believed he had been near the store on multiple earlier occasions. Police also said his phone was in the area at the time of the fatal shooting.
Jean-Louis was arrested Oct. 23 by members of a U.S. Marshals Service fugitive task force at a residence in Philadelphia. Investigators said a search of the home turned up a bag containing 11 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition. Authorities said bullets recovered during Cooper’s autopsy were also .22 caliber. The publicly reported evidence does not establish by itself that the ammunition found at the residence was used in the shooting.
During an interview with detectives, Jean-Louis denied killing Cooper and said he was at the Philadelphia residence at the time she was shot, according to the affidavit. Investigators said his cellphone data conflicted with that account. Law enforcement also alleged that Jean-Louis acknowledged contacting Walmart employees about Cooper’s schedule but offered another explanation for those calls. Prosecutors have cited the surveillance footage, witness accounts, phone records and other evidence as part of the case against him.
Cooper had worked at the Walmart for about 22 years and most recently served as a stock coach, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. She was leaving work with another employee when the shooting occurred. The co-worker told police that a masked man approached Cooper as the two stood in the parking lot. The witness fled toward the store and called for help after hearing gunfire, according to the affidavit.
Jean-Louis faces first-degree murder, third-degree murder and other related charges. He remained in custody without bail after his arrest, according to published reports. No attorney was listed in online court records who could comment on his behalf as of the latest reporting, and the accusations against him will be tested through the court process.
Author note: Last updated October 27, 2026.