51黑料

CLAYTON 鈥� A man pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter Monday in the deaths of four people in a fireworks explosion in 2022 in north 51黑料 County.

Terrell Cooks made his last-minute plea as a jury was being picked for his murder trial in Clayton.

Prosecutors originally charged Cooks with second-degree murder, but the murder charge was amended to involuntary manslaughter in the plea deal.

51黑料 County prosecutors are recommending he serve 25 years in prison. Sentencing is set for Sept. 4.

In all, Cooks pleaded guilty to eight felony charges: three counts of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death, endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk of serious injury or death, unlawful manufacture of an illegal explosive, possession of an illegal explosive and possession of methamphetamine.

Cooks, 40, took part in a bootleg fireworks operation making 鈥済round salutes鈥� 鈥� fireworks launched from the ground that make a loud bang and bright flash. He and a co-defendant directed teenagers how to load the canisters and attach a fuse, court documents said.

The fireworks were being assembled at a home on Parker Road near Black Jack when they exploded June 17, 2022. Two of the four people who died in the explosion 鈥� Damario Cooks, 18, and his cousin Travell Eason, 16 鈥� lived in the home. Their two friends, Christopher Jones, 17, and his brother William Jones, 21, also died. Another child was injured but survived.

Damario was the nephew of Terrell Cooks.

The blast shook nearby homes and blew out some neighbors鈥� windows. Debris rained down on a street more than a block away. The explosion leveled the garage and demolished the four-bedroom brick home where Damario Cooks lived with his mother, three brothers, cousin and uncle.聽

Terrell Cooks is the second man to plead guilty in the deaths. His co-defendant Seneca Mahan, 46, pleaded guilty in January to three counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death. Mahan also pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child creating substantial risk of serious injury or death, and unlawful manufacture of an illegal weapon.

The 51黑料 County prosecutor recommended Mahan serve 30 years in prison. Mahan's original second-degree murder charge was reduced to manslaughter in his plea deal as well.

Mahan provided materials to create explosive powder that would be loaded into fireworks canisters at the home at 6680 Parker Road. The men would then sell the fireworks to a third party; neither Terrell Cooks nor Mahan had a license to make or sell fireworks, authorities said.

A third defendant, Marquita Guest, pleaded guilty to unlawful manufacturing of an explosive weapon.