Wake County man charged in five unsolved murders

RALEIGH (AP) — A man released from prison last year has been charged with five shooting deaths in Wake County.

Thirty-year-old Samuel James Cooper was arrested last week and charged with five counts of first-degree murder for incidents ranging back to May of last year. Cooper had been released from prison in February of last year after serving time for a 1994 armed robbery.

Most of these cases involved robberies.

Fifty-two-year-old Tariq Hussain was found dead behind the counter of his convenience store in October. Ricky High was also killed last month.

Thirty-four-year-old Timothy David Barnwell was found dead outside his apartment in April.

Forty-year-old LeRoy Jernigan was shot to death in June of last year in a restaurant where he worked.

Osama Haj-Hussein was found dead in May of last year at a convenience store.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)