A pair of Cedar Rapids teens accused of initiating a shooting that injured five in Iowa City’s Ped Mall have pleaded not guilty and asked for a speedy trial.
According to court documents from arraignment hearings on Friday, June 19, Damarian Jones and Ka’mari Dozier, both 17, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges in connection with their alleged role in the April 19 pedestrian mall shooting. They also demanded a speedy trial, which, according to the Iowa rules of criminal procedure, must occur within 90 days of the charges being filed.
Jones is charged with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of assault for allegedly shooting six times into a crowd of bystanders following a large fight in the early morning hours of April 19. The shots struck and seriously injured five bystanders, three of whom were University of Iowa students.
Jones was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service on May 11, near Atlanta, Georgia, nearly four weeks after the alleged shooting.
Dozier is charged with five counts of attempted murder for allegedly providing Jones with the gun he used to fire into the crowd. He also faces one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and one count of participating in a riot.
A trial date has yet to be set for either defendant. They are both being charged as adults.
16 people charged following Ped Mall shooting
Iowa City police chief Dustin Liston said the initial fight involved roughly 40 people around 1:45 a.m.
Liston said during a news conference on April 22 that Jones was allegedly involved in the fight, obtained a firearm, and fired it into a crowd. The teenager was arrested nearly a month after he was identified.
The wounded were not targeted, Liston said. One person was shot in the head, one in the arm and chest, two were hit in the legs, and another was hit in the stomach.
Four of the injured were released from the hospital the morning following the shooting, and one remained in critical condition after being shot in the head.
Police believe Isaiah M. Bates, 18, of Cedar Rapids, allegedly helped Jones flee the scene and arranged for transportation out of state. He was arrested for obstruction, accessory after the fact, and rioting in May. He posted a $10,000 bond on June 5.
Sixteen people in total were charged in connection with the Ped Mall shooting.
Thirteen other individuals in May — including two minors — were charged with participating in a riot for their roles in the fight that preceded the shooting.
Liam Halawith covers Johnson County local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. Reach him by email at lhalawith@registermedia.com. Follow him on X at @liam_halawith.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa teen accused of firing gun into Ped Mall crowd pleads not guilty
Reporting by Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Liam Halawith, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
