Police are searching for a 17-year-old suspect charged in connection with a shooting near the University of Iowa over the weekend. The shooting left five people wounded, some severely.
Damarian Jones, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, faces five counts of attempted murder, three counts of willful injury assault causing serious injury, two counts of willful injury assault causing bodily injury, and one count of going armed with intent, according to police. The final charge is brought against someone for allegedly carrying a dangerous weapon “with the specific intent to use it without justification against another person,” according to Iowa state law.
Iowa City police announced the charges against Jones on Wednesday. The suspect still had not been located, and anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to submit tips to authorities. Police said they expect to file additional charges, and make additional arrests, as they continue to investigate the case.
Jones has been at large since Sunday morning, when he is accused of shooting five people in the middle of a crowded mall at around 1:45 a.m. Jones fired six rounds from his handgun inside Iowa City’s Pedestrian Mall, near the University of Iowa campus, after engaging in a physical fight “against numerous opposing individuals,” police said in an arrest affidavit.
The suspect fought alongside others “on his side” and eventually “obtained a firearm” as the altercation continued. During a break in fighting, he walked away from the opposing group, raised his gun and proceeded to fire six rounds toward them, according to the affidavit, which struck the five injured people while they were “in the direct line of fire.”
None of the five victims were targets in the shooting, police said, adding, “there is no reason to believe they were otherwise affiliated with this incident.”
Police brought the charges after reviewing video footage, and obtaining images of Jones and other persons of interest, according to their announcement and the affidavit. Based on the footage and crime scene evidence, the charging document said, “There is probable cause to believe the defendant, with the specific intent to cause the death of another, performed an act constituting a substantial step toward the commission of murder.”
Although police believe Jones fired every shot that caused the five injuries, authorities said they recovered three firearms, numerous accessories and multiple rounds of ammunition during their investigation.
Of the five people struck by gunfire, two remained hospitalized on Wednesday, according to police. One person suffered a life-threatening head injury in the shooting and was hospitalized in critical condition, and another suffered serious injuries requiring surgery after being struck in the arm and chest. The third victim suffered serious injuries that required multiple surgeries after being shot in the leg, the fourth was struck in the side of the stomach, and the fifth was struck in both legs, police said.
“Their lives have been forever changed by this senseless act of violence,” Iowa City Police Chief Dustin Liston said in a statement. “We pray for their full recovery and stand ready to support them in any way possible during this difficult time.”
