Darius Pointer

A 19-year-old Berkeley man was charged with manslaughter Saturday in the killing of an aspiring health care worker who was voted prom king last year at University City High School. Braden Cobb is charged with involuntary manslaughter and felony evidence tampering in the Jan. 4 Berkeley killing of 19-year-old Darius Pointer. Cobb told investigators he was unloading a gun and showing it to Pointer in a vehicle when the gun discharged near Marshall Avenue and Natural Bridge Road, Berkeley police wrote in charging documents. Pointer’s body was found near the parking lot of the Berkeley Steak n’ Shake at 9550 Natural Bridge Road. Cobb, according to the police account, also admitted to running from the shooting scene, hailing a ride from an Uber to the Ameristar Casino and then throwing the gun into the Missouri River. Pointer was a popular, laid-back person who had so many friends he was voted prom king at University City High School last year, said Pointer’s older brother, Dariaun Pointer. He graduated from high school in May 2022 and had aspirations to become a nurse. “He wanted to do something where he could help people,” Dariuan said. After graduating, Darius Pointer was studying radiologic technology at St. Louis Community College and had just started working at a Lowe’s hardware store before he was killed, according to his family. “All his time was spent at work, school or hanging out with his friends,” Dariuan said. His older brother said his family is skeptical of the story Cobb told police. “To us, this doesn’t look like an accident,” Dariuan Pointer said. “He tried to run away. He tried to hide the gun. That’s not involuntary.” He added that it would be out of character for his brother to even interact with a gun. “Darius didn’t play with firearms,” Dariuan Pointer said. “He didn’t like guns. It’s not like him to hold one at all.” The Pointer family has raised more than $2,000 to help fund the 19-year-old’s funeral costs on GoFundMe.com. Cobb’s bail is set at $1 million, cash only. He was listed as in custody Monday at the St. Louis County jail.