Man found dead in westside parking lot Tuesday morning had been shot in the chest

A woman arriving at work on South Liberty Drive early Tuesday found a man dead in the parking lot.

Investigators confirmed he had a gunshot wound to the chest, and soon arrested a transient man sleeping in a nearby van on a murder charge.

According to a Bloomington Police Department news release, a woman arriving at her place of employment in the 2100 block of South Liberty Drive about 6:20 a.m. noticed a man lying in the parking lot. She asked a coworker to come with her to check on him, and when they saw that he was deceased, they called 911.

Police determined the man had been shot in the chest. He has not been identified since family members have not been notified.

Investigators checking the area located a van parked nearby with what appeared to be a bullet hole through the windshield. Officers woke up a man sleeping inside the vehicle, 56-year-old Scott A. Cooper, and took him to the police station for questioning.

In the meantime, two vehicles − one that police think had been occupied by the deceasedman, and a 2006 Chrysler Town & Country van the suspect was in − were towed from the scene and searched. A loaded .380-caliber handgun was found inside the van Cooper had been sleeping in, the news release said.

Cooper was transported to the Monroe County Jail later Tuesday morning and is being detained there without bond on a preliminary murder charge. An autopsy is scheduled for the victim.

Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.