Tasha Cooks

How they died

No

Lance Johnson reportedly killed Tasha Cooks, who he'd taken hostage, before killing himself during a 23-hour standoff at a South Side apartment building. At around 1 a.m., witnesses said Johnson tried to force his way into a neighbor's apartment after complaining about a noisy child. The family fled and witnesses said Johnson shot at people on the stairs. Johnson then broke into Cooks' apartment and held her hostage. Neighbors said they heard Johnson threatening to shoot Cooks if police didn't keep their distance. Police confirmed that Johnson threatened violence during the standoff, which ended when SWAT officers stormed the apartment almost a full day later. Inside, police found Johnson and Cooks gravely wounded. Both were later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Why we remember them

This record exists so that Tasha Cooks, and all who are named in this archive, are never reduced to a number.

References & sources