Cedar Rapids police respond to string of four shootings Thursday and Friday

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cedar Rapids police responded to four shootings between Thursday afternoon, early Friday morning, and another on Friday afternoon.

So far the shootings have left three people with minor injuries and resulted in two arrests. Police can't confirm at this time if the four shootings are unrelated to each other, or an ongoing conflict between two rival organizations that have resulted in shootings this summer.

'There is no information that leads me or us to believe they are related to one another,” said Police Chief Wayne Jerman. 'I don't have any information that can affirmatively link them to any of the previous shootings.”

The first shooting happened around 3:17 p.m. on Thursday in the 4100 block of 22nd Avenue SW. According to a Linn County Attorney's Office criminal complaint, a confrontation took place at the nearby Westdale Court Apartments. Following that confrontation, two men - Rashad J. Ross and Maurice A. Johnson, both 20 and of 4133 22nd Ave. - shot at one man. Police said Johnson shot at two other suspects.

The men fled the scene and were later arrested. When they were taken into custody, police said Johnson had marijuana on him.

Both men face charges of going armed with intent, assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and carrying weapons. Johnson faces two additional counts of assault while displaying a weapon and one count of possession of marijuana.

Jerman praised the diligence of the officers and investigators responsible for making the arrest in the shooting and those who came forward and provided information to police.

'There are a number of people in this city that continue to engage in this type of behavior,” he said. 'While there are some groups involved, there are also individuals acting on their own behalf to take matters into their own hands.”

The next shooting happened around 11:20 p.m. in the 1600 block of Washington Avenue SE. Police said a woman suffered a grazing wound to her shoulder and a man suffered a wound to his ankle. Both victims refused medical treatment and were unable to identify any suspects, police said.

At 12:30 a.m. Friday, officers responded to the 1800 block of Edgewood Road SW for shots fired. Two women reported walking along Edgewood Road when three men in a gold Ford Taurus drove past and fired several rounds in their direction. One woman suffered a graze wound to the foot, but refused medical treatment.

The fourth shooting happened at approximately 2:15 p.m. on Friday. According to police, officers were called to the 1500 block of 3rd Avenue SE. near Redmond Park. Officers believe it was two vehicles shooting towards each other. However, no injuries were reported from the incident. Officers haven't located the vehicles, yet, and have no suspects.

Two bullets hit the property at 1540 3rd Ave, but officers do not believe this property was involved in the dispute.

Police responded to 41 shootings in the city from January 2015 through the end of June, down slightly from the first six months of 2014. Last year saw a record number of shooting incidents - 94. Police said a number of the recent shootings are a result of an ongoing dispute between rival groups.