Cedar Rapids man charged with attempted murder in Iowa City shooting

A Cedar Rapids man authorities said was responsible earlier this month for leaving an injured man alongside U.S. Highway 218 has been charged with attempted murder, according to Iowa City police.

Lamont’e O’Neal, 20, is in custody in Cook County, Ill., on unrelated charges and will be extradited later to face charges in Johnson County, police said.

He’s been charged in Johnson County with attempted murder, two counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of control of firearm by a felon, two counts of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, second-degree kidnapping and willful injury causing serious injury.

According to criminal complaints, O’Neal was in the back seat of a 2008 Nissan Altima on July 2 when he got into an argument with the front seat passenger. He took the other passenger’s phone during the argument, and when the other passenger turned around to get his phone back, O’Neal shot him in the stomach.

O’Neal then forced the driver, at gunpoint, to pull over and leave the front-seat passenger on the side of Highway 218, then drive to Peoria, Ill. O’Neal, who took the driver’s phone at gunpoint, had two guns with him in the back seat, the complaints state.

The front-seat passenger and the driver of the car are not named in the complaints.

Iowa City Police were called about 2:30 p.m. July 2 to a report of a man suffering from a gunshot wound on the side of Highway 218 near Mile Marker 93. The man was transported to a hospital where he received surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his hip, according to complaints.

Comments: (319) 398-8328; emily.andersen@thegazette.com