LEE HILL, JOHNSONVILLE – The quiet neighborhood of Lee Hill in Johnsonville, Liberia, was shattered by a chilling incident that unfolded at the doorstep of the journalist Orlind Cooper family. Emmanuel Orlind Cooper, known popularly as Orlind Cooper, the renowned video journalist, had recently been threatened via text messages.
On the night of February 15, 2024, as the Cooper family slept, an ominous presence descended upon their home. The air grew thick with fear, and the moon’s pale glow seemed to wane as if in sympathy. At approximately 2:30 a.m., the neighbor’s dog began to howl, its frantic barks echoing through the quiet streets. But it was too late—the malevolent act had already occurred.
Blood, dark and foreboding, was splattered before the steel door of the family apartment in Lee Hill, Johnsonville. The crimson stain bore witness to a sinister message—one that transcended mere words. The Cooper family had been marked; their safety was violated most viscerally.
Georgian Yoade Cooper, 21, awakened early to prepare their vehicle for early morning travel and stumbled upon the splattered blood at their front door.
“My heart started beating so fast out of fear that people texted threatening messages to my father,” Ms. Cooper told journalists. “It reminded me of what a little girl from the community told me that unknown men were asking for our house.”
Her mother immediately called the police, and they noted that they would patrol the community regularly.
It has been reported that on September 24 and 28, 2023, journalist Orlind Cooper received several text messages threatening his life.
On Sunday, September 24, 2023, at 7:32 a.m., Mr. Cooper received the following text messages:
“The sickness that missed you these few times is not enough; we will get even with you.”
“You believe that you are the only one who can work; however, your days are numbered.”
Orlind noted that he” initially thought the messages were misdirected, as he was out of Liberia and recovering from surgery”. Then, on Thursday, September 28, he reportedly received another set of threatening texts:
9:46 a.m.: “As soon as you get back, we are going to get you! You can’t run away from us.”
10:01 a.m.: “As a journalist, you are supposed to work in our interest, but since you decided to go the other way, we will deal with you fatally!!!”
12:23 p.m.: “We know you and your family moved to Johnsonville, but we will still get to you.”
When we contacted Orlind Cooper, who is out of the country currently on a health trip, he said he is “frightened for the life of his family” and calls for the government to provide security protection for his family.
Before his ailment, the veteran videojournalist worked in the office of the Presidential Press Secretary and covered former Liberian President, George Manneh Weah immensely.
What is not so clear is the political motivation behind the life of the hardworking media practitioner.
