Man who killed Mt. Pleasant worship leader, wounded father sentenced to life in prison

19-year-old Aaron Jordan White was sentenced Thursday.
19-year-old Aaron Jordan White was sentenced Thursday.(CCSO)
Updated: Nov. 14, 2019 at 12:23 PM EST
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The man who killed a Mount Pleasant worship leader and wounded his father in 2018 was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday.

Aaron Jordan White was 18 when he killed 41-year-old Michael Bryan Cooke. He pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder, attempted armed robbery, violent second-degree burglary and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.

Cooke, known as Bryan, was pronounced dead at the scene on Matipan Avenue in February 2018 and died from gunshot wounds following an attempted robbery.

His father, Michael Cooke, was also shot multiple times, including in the face. He is pastor at Life Community Church in Mount Pleasant where his son served as worship leader.

Bryan Cooke (right) was killed in an attempted robbery in February 2018. Aaron White was...
Bryan Cooke (right) was killed in an attempted robbery in February 2018. Aaron White was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the crime.(Provided)

The family says the attempted robbery and shooting was random, and the father-son pair happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

They were in the process of renovating a home to provide housing for wounded veterans and had volunteered their services to do plumbing work when the shooting happened.

After denying his initial involvement, White later provided a full confession to investigators.

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