Preliminary Hearing Wednesday Set in Murder of Michael Cooper’s Brother

A preliminary hearing is scheduled on Wednesday for Aaron Miguel Conell, the 24-year-old Pasadena resident charged with murdering Mickey Cooper, the younger brother of Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Michael Cooper.

The hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. in Department H of the Pasadena Courthouse, where Conell faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.

Prosecutors allege Conell killed Mickey Cooper, 64, in a series of apparently random violent incidents at Washington Park on November 18. The Pasadena Police Department’s ShotSpotter system (it is has since been renamed and today is called SoundThinking) detected gunshots at 4:10 a.m., leading officers to discover Cooper’s body with multiple gunshot wounds.

The case came among a pattern of alleged violent encounters. On October 29, Conell reportedly shot a man in the neck at Washington Park, causing life-threatening injuries. On November 5, he allegedly pointed a gun at a driver at a gas station in Pasadena.

Investigators allegedly recovered a loaded 9-millimeter semiautomatic firearm from Conell’s vehicle during his arrest on November 19 — less than 24 hours after the fatal shooting. The Pasadena Police Department described the crimes as random acts of violence.

Mickey Cooper, a Pasadena resident who struggled with drug addiction, was known to sleep at Washington Park, which his brother Michael described as a “safe haven” where they played basketball as children.

Conell has no prior felony convictions. He pleaded not guilty to all charges on February 15. If convicted, he faces up to 50 years to life in state prison. His bail was set at $4.25 million.

The case will be heard by Judge Rupa S. Goswami, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge appointed in 2013, who previously served as a federal prosecutor for over 12 years.