Jury in Iowa City Pedestrian Mall fatal shooting continue deliberations Tuesday

DES MOINES - The jury in the Lamar Wilson murder trial will continue its deliberations Tuesday in the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall shooting last August.

The jury started deliberations late Friday afternoon following nearly four hours of closing arguments in Polk County District Court. The trial, which started Jan. 19, was moved out of Johnson County based on extensive pretrial publicity.

Wilson, 21, is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of intimidation with a dangerous weapon. He is accused of fatally shooting Kaleek Jones, 22, of Iowa City, and injuring cousins Xavier Hicks and D'Andre Hicks in the Aug. 27 Ped Mall shootings.

Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness said in her opening statement that Jones was killed and the Hicks cousins were injured because Wilson was angry over a Facebook post regarding a friend who had died in a car crash. Jones and the Hicks cousins were unarmed, according to testimony.

Lyness said the 'peaceful, fun-loving atmosphere” of the Ped Mall changed in the early morning hours when Wilson and his friends collided with Jones and his friends.

The defense argued Wilson fired his weapon in self-defense and his actions were reasonable when facing deadly force.

6th Judicial District Judge Paul Miller, last week, said after the verdict he will have another hearing in Johnson County to determine if the shooting is justified and if Wilson should be granted immunity under the new 'stand your ground” law enacted last year.

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