Gun used in attempted murder was stolen in 2013 burglary

A prosecutor said Thursday a Cedar Rapids man, recently nabbed by U.S. Marshals during a national fugitive sweep in Illinois for an attempted murder last September, used a firearm stolen from a 2013 burglary.

Cordarryl Smith, 28, of Cedar Rapids, was charged earlier this month with attempted murder, willful injury causing serious injury, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, trafficking in stolen weapons, dominion/control of a firearm by a domestic abuse offender and going armed with intent.

Smith is accused of shooting Mack Johnson, 38, on Sept. 5, inside a house at 1532 4th Ave. SE, while several others were also in the house, according to a criminal complaint.

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said Smith fired four shots at Johnson, hitting him once in the neck, twice in the leg and one bullet grazed his head. This happened during an argument between the two men.

'The shots were fired at close range - he's lucky to be alive,” Maybanks said.

Maybanks said this is another example of a stolen firearm from a gun owner later being used in a crime. Maybanks announced this week the county attorney's office had made gun crimes a top priority to combat the recent gun violence and hopefully, get more guns off the streets.

'If someone is going to have guns, they should be secured,” Maybanks said.

He said he realizes the gun owner isn't at fault for the crime but he thinks they should be more responsible and keep their weapons in secure places to help prevent crimes.

Maybanks said this handgun, recovered at the scene after Smith fled, was one of 20 guns stolen from a safe in an unsecured, unattached garage on July 26, 2013. Nobody lived on the property full time where the garage was located. The safe, which was busted open, was then returned to the property after the burglary, he said.

Some of the guns were recovered on Aug. 8, 2013 after a fisherman caught one of the long guns in the Iowa River, near the Curtis Bridge Road overpass on I-380, Maybanks said. Police then search the river and recovered 10 more long guns but no handguns, until this one turned up.

Smith was tracked down to a home in Streator, Ill, last month, according to U.S. Marshals. On Feb. 29, after hours of surveillance, authorities identified Smith leaving the home and he attempted to run from law enforcement in a vehicle and on foot but was eventually arrested in Ottawa, Ill., that day.