Authorities have arrested a Haitian immigrant accused of shooting his estranged wife outside the Pennsylvania Walmart where she worked. Prosecutors say the killing may be linked to a marriage they believe was arranged to help him secure legal status in the United States.
Destino Jean-Louis, 23, was taken into custody Friday and charged with murder in the death of Latosha Ann Cooper, 45, according to local and federal officials.
Cooper was fatally shot Wednesday night as she headed toward her vehicle after finishing her shift at a Walmart in Cheltenham Township, a Philadelphia suburb.
Officers arrived shortly after 11:30 p.m. and found Cooper beside her car with a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and Cheltenham Police Department said.
Investigators believe Jean-Louis concealed himself in nearby bushes while wearing a mask and waited for Cooper to leave the store.
He allegedly approached Cooper as she walked with a colleague and opened fire before escaping from the area, according to prosecutors.
Detectives identified Jean-Louis as a suspect after learning that he had previously worked at the Walmart, where he met Cooper and began a romantic relationship.
Prosecutors said the couple married on March 31, 2025. Jean-Louis was reportedly facing immigration difficulties, and the relationship had recently deteriorated.
Destino Jean-Louis was arrested Friday by the US Marshal’s Office and the Cheltenham Police Department in connection with the killing of his estranged wife
Jean-Louis faces murder charges in the alleged shooting death of Latosha Ann Cooper outside a Pennsylvania Walmart
Authorities said Jean-Louis, a Haitian immigrant, married Cooper after overstaying his visa in an effort to remain in the United States
After naming Jean-Louis as the primary suspect, investigators searched his home and found a sandwich bag containing 11 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, prosecutors said.
An autopsy determined that Cooper had been killed with .22-caliber ammunition. Her cause of death was listed as multiple gunshot wounds to the head, according to prosecutors.
Phone records allegedly showed that Jean-Louis visited the Walmart several times in the weeks before the shooting, including on the day Cooper was killed, prosecutors said.
The US Marshals Service said Jean-Louis came to the United States from Haiti and later overstayed his visa.
Court records obtained by Fox 29 state that Jean-Louis entered the country in 2023 through a humanitarian program that was later ended under the Trump administration.
After their wedding, Jean-Louis and Cooper met with immigration officials. However, investigators reportedly concluded that the marriage was not legitimate and rejected his petition, according to court filings.
Family members and co-workers told detectives that the pair had been romantically involved, but court documents allege the marriage was primarily intended to help Jean-Louis remain in the United States.
A relative of Jean-Louis also told investigators that he had married an “older woman” to pursue immigration benefits.
According to a court document reviewed by CBS News, Cooper ended her relationship with Jean-Louis and withdrew a petition seeking to keep him in the US as her spouse in July.
Authorities said he entered the country under a humanitarian program that recently ended
The shooting occurred outside a Walmart after Cooper left her shift with a coworker
Walmart then fired him because of his immigration status. Another employee at the store told detectives that he allegedly admitted to assaulting Cooper and repeatedly contacted staff for her work schedule, citing one instance on September 30, according to court documents viewed by Fox 29.
Jean-Louis is being held without bail in Montgomery County jail. He was initially placed in federal custody before being transferred.
He faces charges of murder in the first degree, murder in the third degree, carrying a firearm without a license, carrying a firearm as an ‘illegal alien,’ and using a firearm with intent to cause harm.
Jean-Louis is awaiting a preliminary hearing. The court docket does not yet list an attorney for him, and he has not entered a plea to the charges against him.
Our News Outlet has reached out to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and Cheltenham Police Department for related court documents and additional comment.
