UPDATE: Five Suspects Arrested in Connection to 2025 Homicide

Five teenage suspects are facing multiple felony charges related to the murder of Kevin Cooper, who was shot in November and died more than a month later.

Since the shooting on November 1, 2025, Detectives with the Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST) have been pursuing leads, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and conducting other investigative work to identify who was responsible for the crime. They determined that five suspects invaded Mr. Cooper's home and shot him in front of his family members. Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit (MCU) were also actively investigating the suspects for robbery cases.

On November 7, 2025, Zyaire E. Carter, 19, of Portland, and Ty'Davion C. Burton, 18, of Portland, were arrested on unrelated charges by members of the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT). They were charged with multiple crimes that predated the shooting of Mr. Cooper, including attempted murder, assault, robbery, and unlawful use of firearms.

Cooper succumbed to his injuries on December 12, and the Homicide Unit began collaborating with ECST and MCU.

On January 6, 2026, SERT and CNT served three search warrants consecutively. As a result of these warrants, two additional suspects were arrested for robberies that preceded the murder, Jayden J. Sarinana, 18, of Portland and a juvenile male, 17. Subsequently, a Multnomah County grand jury indicted Zyaire Carter, Ty'Davion C. Burton, Jayden Sarinana, and Jordan Perkins with the murder of Mr. Cooper.

ECST coordinated with the U.S. Marshals Service to safely take Jordan C. Perkins, 18, of Portland, into custody on February 5, 2026.

Carter, Burton, Sarinana, and Perkins remain in the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of murder, as well as additional robberies and shootings. The juvenile male remains in custody in the juvenile detention center.

The five suspects are being investigated related to additional robberies, and more charges may be pending.

As of now, charges include:

Zyaire Carter and Ty'Davion C. Burton: Murder in the First Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon (4 counts), Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Assault in the First Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, Recklessly Endangering Another Person (4 counts), Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and Menacing.

Jayden J. Sarinana: Murder in the Second Degree (2 counts), Assault in the First Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, Recklessly Endangering Another Person (4 counts), Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and Menacing.

Jordan Perkins: Murder in the Second Degree (2 counts), Assault in the First Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, Recklessly Endangering Another Person (4 counts), Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Menacing, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon (4 counts).

Juvenile male: Murder in the Second Degree (2 counts), Assault in the First Degree, Burglary in the First Degree, Recklessly Endangering Another Person (4 counts), Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Menacing, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon (4 counts).

The victim's family wants the community to know that Kevin Cooper was a grandfather, a minister in his local church, and devoted to his family.

"The death of Kevin Cooper is a tragedy in every way," said Chief Bob Day. "While nothing can bring him back, I sincerely hope that these arrests are a step in healing for his family. My sincere thanks to the detectives, criminalists, officers, and others who responded to this terrible call and did the tremendous investigative work required to safely get these dangerous suspects into custody. This work is a significant step in our ongoing efforts to reduce crime and the fear of crime in Portland. I also appreciate our partners at the Multnomah County District Attorney's office and the U.S. Marshal's Service for their crucial roles in this case."

"We cannot tolerate this growing rate of violence among youth and young adults," said Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Eric Palmer, who is prosecuting the case. "Kevin Cooper should still be with his grandchildren, his wife, and his church. We look forward to delivering justice for Mr. Cooper's family, holding these men accountable, and doing our part to prevent further acts of violence."

If anyone has information about this or any case involving these suspects, please contact [email protected] or 503-823-0479 and reference case number 25-299606.

No further information will be released at this time.

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***Original Message Below***

Man Dies Weeks After Shooting, Homicide Investigation Underway

On Saturday, November 1, 2025, at approximately 12:30 a.m., officers assigned to the Portland Police Bureau's East Precinct responded to reports of a shooting in the 9300 block of Southeast Ramona Street. When they arrived, they found an adult male who had been shot multiple times. The individual was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. The suspect(s) fled the shooting scene prior to officers arriving.

On Friday, December 12, 2025, the victim, identified as Kevin Cooper, 56, of Portland, died as a result of complications from injuries sustained in the shooting. Cooper's family has been notified of his death. They are requesting privacy at this time, but they did provide a photo for public release.

The Medical Examiner determined Cooper died of homicide by gunshot wound.

While this case was initially assigned to PPB's Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST), the Homicide Unit is now assisting. Anyone with information about this case is urged to contact [email protected] or 503-823-0479 and reference case number 25-299606.

There have been 48 homicides in Portland in 2025.

No further information will be released at this time.

###PPB###