WASHINGTON — D.C. Council candidate A.J. Cooper has died at age 34.
According to a statement on Cooper’s election website he died suddenly after complaining about chest pains and dizziness Wednesday morning.
Cooper announced last month that he would run to fill out the remainder of Muriel Bowser’s Ward 4 council seat after she won the mayoral election. Her term begins in January.
According to his Elect A.J. Cooper Facebook page, Cooper got engaged over Thanksgiving to a Miss Ryan Palmer.
“He was excited about beginning a life with Ryan and being more involved in the life of the city. He was loved by many and will be truly missed,” reads a post on the page.
Cooper, who graduated from the University of Maryland, joined the Marine Corps and graduated from Officer Candidate School. As a high school and college student, Cooper hosted Black Entertainment Television’s “Teen Summit” program.
After the Marines, Cooper redirected his energy to helping young people in the District, working to cut teen pregnancy rates.
Stay with WTOP for updates on this developing story.
My heart goes out to the family of AJ Cooper who tragically passed away this morning. He was a positive force & touched the lives of many.
— Vincent C. Gray (@mayorvincegray) December 3, 2014
Sad to hear of the passing of @electajcooper. A young, talented and proud Washingtonian who worked tirelessly to make DC a better place
— MurielBowser (@MurielBowser) December 3, 2014
Completely overwhelmed by the passing of my good friend, Jay Cooper. May he rest in peace.
— Kenyan McDuffie (@kenyanmcduffie) December 3, 2014
Today, I lost a friend, and the District of Columbia lost a public servant. Rest in peace, AJ Cooper. pic.twitter.com/pR0036SNSV
— Kenyan R. McDuffie (@CM_McDuffie) December 3, 2014
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on Facebook.