Investigator takes jurors through video of deadly shooting at Marion bar

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Marion police investigator on Friday took Linn County jurors through a surveillance video that showed the deadly St. Patrick’s Day encounter between two men last year in a Marion bar.

Marion police Sgt. Nicole Hotz said the video shows Duval T. Walker Jr. approaching Cameron Barnes in Cocktails & Co. a little before 11 p.m. March 17, 2023, and, after yelling at him, throwing the first punch. A fight ensues, and others get involved.

A security employee, in trying to separate the two men, grabbed Barnes and is moving him through the crowded bar toward the entrance as Walker follows them. When they get to the bar area, she said, Walker fires a single fatal shot at Barnes.

Hotz, who was an investigator when the shooting happened, also pointed out where Walker, 30, of Cedar Rapids, retrieved the gun used to kill Barnes, 32.

Walker is on trial in Linn County District Court, charged with first-degree murder and going armed with intent. His trial continues next week. The prosecution should wrap up Monday, and the defense will start. Walker is claiming self-defense.

Hotz said the video shows the two men appear to have no communication when Barnes first crosses paths with Walker in the bar. It looks like a woman with Walker attempts to talk, but Barnes walks around her and goes into another room of the bar. Walker then begins to follow Barnes.

A few minutes later, Hotz said, Walker is dancing and talking to others at a table.

Barnes goes into the dart room, where Walker is, and appears to be looking for someone. Hotz said Walker begins tracking Barnes with his eyes as Barnes goes into the pool room.

Barnes finds his friend, Demarrio Gipson, who testified Thursday, and they go back into the pool room, Hotz said.

Walker then approaches Barnes and appears to be yelling at him, getting upset, but Barnes turns his head away from Walker and doesn’t engage.

Hotz said Barnes then steps back, and Walker swings and punches him. Gipson steps in and punches Walker. He tried to hit Walker again but missed. Barnes then punches Walker, and another man — who Hotz identified as “DK” — jumps in to assist Walker in the fight.

Security employees get involved and, as DK steps away, there’s a handgun on the floor and Walker picks it up.

At that point, a security employee is holding Barnes, another is holding back DK, and Walker isn’t restrained, Hotz said.

This is when the security employee starts moving Barnes toward the bar entrance, Hotz said. As Walker comes into the doorway of the bar area, he has the gun in his right hand and comes at Barnes. Barnes pulls away from the security employee and is bending over, putting his hands up, as if to protect himself, before Walker fires the gun, she said.

Hotz said Walker then runs out past Barnes and leaves the bar.

Other testimony

In other testimony, police officers testified about what actions they took after the shooting to identify the shooter.

Marion police Investigator Adam Paulsen said they used the surveillance video to find the suspect and his vehicle — a Lincoln Aviator — which the suspect left in. The vehicle was registered to Maurice Stone, a friend of Walker’s, and police found Walker at Stone’s address, where Walker was staying.

Paulsen said he obtained a search warrant for the apartment and the Aviator. He collected a straw, which was sent to the crime lab for testing in hopes it would provide DNA to identify the suspect.

Marion police also searched Walker’s girlfriend’s phone, which she gave them permission to do, and there was a photo of Walker, wearing the same clothing he had on the night of the shooting.

Marion investigator Thomas Peterson, as a member of the task force for the Northern District of Iowa, asked the U.S. Marshals Service to assist in finding Walker two weeks after the shooting. The marshals located him in Waterloo and brought him back to Cedar Rapids.

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