15-year-old charged as adult in shooting at Marion park

A 15-year-old Cedar Rapids boy was waived from juvenile into district — adult — court this week and charged with firing a gun multiple times and attempting to kill a 17-year-old during an Aug. 5 basketball game in a Marion park.

Antonio Ranulfo Juarez-Luna was charged Wednesday in Linn County District Court with the felonies of attempted murder; intimidation with a dangerous weapon — intent; willful injury resulting in bodily injury; and going armed with intent. He also was charged with the use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime, an aggravated misdemeanor; and being a minor armed with dangerous weapon — carries/transports/possess within city limits, a serious misdemeanor.

Sixth Judicial Associate District Judge Nicholas Scott set a $100,000 cash-only bail for Juarez-Luna during his initial appearance in court Wednesday.

During a waiver hearing Tuesday, 6th Judicial Associate District Judge Angie Johnston said there are many aggravating factors alleged in this case: Juarez-Luna was the only teen involved in the dispute that day who had a gun; the shooting occurred during the middle of day at a public park during a basketball game; and he fired 11 times and continued to fire at the alleged victim after that teen fell to the ground and another person had to take Juarez-Luna’s gun from him to stop the shooting.

Johnston also noted that after the shooting, Juarez-Luna’s mother picked him up and didn’t contact law enforcement immediately but instead attempted to get rid of the gun by giving it to another minor. Juarez-Luna also hadn’t been attending school and admitted to smoking, drinking alcohol and not listening to his parent.

If Juarez-Luna remained in juvenile court and wasn’t successful at the State Training School in Eldora, the court wouldn’t have any more options or sanctions after he turns 18, according to the ruling.

Johnston pointed out that this shooting wasn’t an accident nor was it a self-defense situation — none of the others at the game were armed and “even if there was a reasonable belief that they were, to continue to shoot after the victim was on the ground takes it out of the realm of reasonable force.”

Johnston concluded it was best to waive this case into district court, where Juarez-Luna will be prosecuted as a youthful offender. As a youthful offender, if he is convicted, he will be sent to the training school until he turns 18 and then a district judge will decide if he should be released or sentenced to prison or probation.

According to criminal complaint, witnesses at Hanna Park, including the 17-year-old who was shot, identified Juarez-Luna as the individual who retrieved a firearm from a bag and fired 11 times at a teen identified as “C.W.,” striking him four times in his legs, hip and foot. The 17-year-old had fractures to his fibula, metatarsal and cuboid — foot — bone and wounds to his left hip and foot.

A fight broke out during the basketball game and Juarez-Luna shot at C.W., who was among the other participants in the game, the complaint states. Juarez-Luna was moving at C.W. while shooting at him and continued to shoot at him after C.W. fell, the complaint said.

Juarez-Luna remains in the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center.

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