Illinois man faces attempted murder charge in weekend shooting

CEDAR RAPIDS - Leon Barnes bragged about committing a shooting in Cedar Rapids that left a woman hospitalized, according to criminal complaints.

Barnes, 26, of Bartonville, Ill., was arrested near Peoria, Ill., several days after allegedly committing a shooting in Cedar Rapids on Dec. 30. According to a Linn County Attorney's Office criminal complaint, Barnes gave a fake name to authorities in Illinois. His companion 'disclosed (Barnes) had been bragging about committing a shooting in Cedar Rapids,” the complaint states.

Authorities said witnesses saw Barnes fire several shots at a 41-year-old woman outside of her residence in the 1600 block of Bever Avenue SE around 7:24 p.m. Dec. 30. The criminal complaint filed Thursday states Barnes had been waiting for the victim in a vehicle outside of her home and shot at her when she arrived.

Police said the victim was hit in the abdomen and suffered a serious injury. She was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for surgery and is now in stable condition, authorities said.

Barnes, a felon, was extradited to Linn County on Wednesday, police said. He now faces charges of attempted murder, willful injury, going armed with intent and possession of a firearm by a felon.

At an initial appearance, Barnes' bail was set at $200,000 cash only. He is being represented by the Linn County Public Defender's Office.

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