A 24-year-old Columbus man was sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting a 21-year-old during an alleged drug deal near an elementary school in Jefferson Township.
Nicko Matthews-Cooper received the sentence Sept. 1, with the possibility of parole after 27 years, NBC4 reported. The sentencing came roughly a month after a jury found him guilty Aug. 6 on four charges: murder, felonious assault, discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises and tampering with evidence.
The jury acquitted Matthews-Cooper of robbery and aggravated murder.
The case began with a shooting just after 2 a.m. on Dec. 15, 2024, near Licking Heights West Elementary School at 1490 Climbing Fig Drive in Blacklick, officers said according to the NBC4 report. Blacklick is an unincorporated community in Jefferson Township, bordered by New Albany to the north and Gahanna to the west.
Officers said Matthews-Cooper pulled a gun and tried to rob Kaelan Amerson, 21, after a drug transaction, then fired into the vehicle where Amerson and two other people were sitting. He struck Amerson multiple times in the upper body.
Amerson tried to drive away but lost control of the vehicle. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. The two other passengers were also shot and suffered minor injuries.
Matthews-Cooper was arrested in December 2024, according to court records cited by NBC4. The arrest followed a search that began shortly after the shooting.
The life sentence carries a minimum of 27 years before Matthews-Cooper becomes eligible for parole. No further court proceedings are scheduled.
