A Haitian illegal immigrant allowed into the United States through a Biden administration parole program is accused of fatally shooting the American woman who investigators say married him to help him obtain legal immigration status.
Destino Jean-Louis, 23, allegedly shot Latosha Cooper, 45, outside a Walmart in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 21, according to 6ABC.
Jean-Louis waited outside the store for Cooper’s shift to end late that night, investigators said. Wearing a mask, he allegedly approached Cooper and shot her as she spoke with a coworker in the parking lot.
Investigators believe Jean-Louis and Cooper entered into a fraudulent marriage in 2025 so he could obtain a green card, according to 6ABC.
“So it was one of those things where they’re married, immigration comes in, does an interview, and says, ‘Nah, this isn’t really legitimate. We’re not going to approve this for immigration purposes.’ And then she decides not to go further in the process,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said of the marriage.
The two met in 2024 while working at Walmart. Investigators said Jean-Louis was later fired from the store because of immigration issues.
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Jean-Louis flew to the United States in 2023 from Haiti under the Biden administration’s parole program for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, law enforcement sources told The Daily Wire.
The Trump administration ended the program in 2025.
“At that point, he should have self-deported,” Clark said.
Jean-Louis told police that Cooper offered to marry him so he could obtain immigration status, according to 6ABC. In July, federal authorities denied his immigration application, the outlet reported.
Cooper then cut contact with Jean-Louis, which upset him, a Walmart employee told investigators, the outlet reported.
The former coworker said Jean-Louis had admitted to physically assaulting Cooper over the situation because “in his country, such disrespect is not tolerated and that he would do it again.”
Former coworkers said Jean-Louis recently contacted them to find out Cooper’s work schedule. Jean-Louis admitted making those inquiries but claimed she owed him money, according to 6ABC. Cellphone records placed him at the Walmart several times late at night in the days leading up to the shooting.
U.S. Marshals nabbed Jean-Louis on Friday outside a home in Philadelphia on immigration violations. He was later charged with murder.
“Because this was such a violent crime, because we had the means to arrest him quickly and bring him into custody before he had a chance to flee the country, we wanted to get on this as soon as possible,” Clark said.
Jean-Louis denied being at the Walmart the night of the killing and said he didn’t know how his cellphone records placed him there, according to 6ABC.
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