Cedar Rapids teen accused in shooting near Mount Mercy

CEDAR RAPIDS — A 16-year-old faces charges related to a shooting near Mount Mercy University and Regis Middle School last week that injured a Mount Mercy student.

Natorian Nicholas Smith, of Cedar Rapids, is charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon, willful injury resulting in bodily injury, going armed with intent, carrying a weapon on school grounds, use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime, reckless use of a firearm, minor armed with a dangerous weapon and person ineligible to carry dangerous weapons.

The charges against Smith were filed Thursday, though he already was being held at the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center because of a probation violation related to the shooting, according to a Cedar Rapids police news release.

Smith was reportedly involved in an exchange of gunfire just before 4 p.m. Nov. 3 that near the intersection of K Avenue and Elmhurst Drive NE, police said.

A Mount Mercy cross-country runner, Matthew Hellige, was on his way to practice and got caught in the cross fire. He was shot in his right forearm, a non-life threatening injury, according to the criminal complaint.

Hellige was taken to nearby Regis Middle School to seek medical help before being taken to the hospital. The middle school, Mount Mercy and nearby Garfield Elementary went into lockdown while the shooting was investigated.

Police collected video surveillance that showed an exchange of gunfire between three people in a silver Chevy Cruze and two people on foot. Investigators found more than 20 shell casings in the area and found a car, a house and a garage had each been struck by bullets, the news release said.

A police K-9 led officers to 1300 Oakland Rd., a few blocks from the shooting, where they made contact with Smith. A search warrant revealed a gun in the apartment where Smith was found.

Some of the shell casings matched the gun. Surveillance footage showed Smith fired shots, and an ankle monitor he was wearing — because he was on juvenile probation — showed him in the area of the shooting at the time it happened, according to the criminal complaint.

Smith was also captured on surveillance footage across the street from Garfield Elementary, 1201 Maplewood Dr. NE, just before the shooting and on school grounds after the shooting.

“Through the investigation, it is clear this is a targeted incident between the two parties involved, occurred in a random location and has no direct correlation nor immediate threat of danger to any educational institution or residents in the area,” police stated in the the news release.

No other arrests have been reported.

Smith had his first appearance in court Thursday, where a $50,000 cash-only bail was set.

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