Man accused of robbery, shooting changes details during police interviews

Raymond Sellers first told police he was only interested in buying marijuana in April 2012 when a couple were shot during a robbery at the Kirkwood Court Apartments.

In a police videotaped interviewed by for jurors Wednesday, Sellers repeatedly said he didn't know the man he went with to buy 'weed” had planned a robbery April 20,2012. He also denied being in the apartment building where the shooting happened but then later told another story.

Sellers, 24, of Chicago, is charged with two counts of attempted murder, first-degree robbery, two counts of willful injury causing serious injury, conspiracy to commit a forcible felony, going armed with intent and possession of a firearm as a felon. Sellers, along with Teran Huff, 26, of Des Moines, and Shantres Johnson, 22, of Cedar Rapids, are accused of going to the apartment of Shannon Gaskins, 23, April 20, 2012 to rob her and boyfriend Alexander White, 24, and then Huff also shot the couple during the incident. Gaskins is permanently paralyzed as a result of her spinal cord damage in the shooting and White was seriously wounded in his stomach and groin area.

Johnson's trial is later this month and Huff pleaded guilty last year.

The prosecution rested and the defense will start its case 9 a.m. Thursday in Linn County District Court. Huff is expected to testify for the defense.

Cedar Rapids Police investigators testified before the interview was played about evidence found at the scene, which disputed some of Sellers' claims.

Crime Scene Investigator David Zahn testified Sellers blood was found outside the apartment building and in a car he rode in to the apartment. There was also a shell casing fired from a .380-caliber handgun which White used to shoot at the intruders in the bedroom and .380 projectile found outside. Sellers was the only one shot of the three charged in this crime.

Zahn said the other shell casings were from a .45-caliber handgun, which wasn't recovered, but the Division of Criminal Investigation determined all the .45 casings and projectiles originated from the same gun.

Investigators said Sellers initially claimed he didn't know who drove him to buy marijuana and he didn't go into the building. He said he stayed in the car and then got tired of waiting when he heard 'pop, pop, pop” and felt something warm. He was shot and then an unknown woman, who he identified in a photo line up as Shantres Johnson, took him to the hospital. In the other version, he was shot outside the car.

Johnson and other witnesses testified Wednesday, contradicting Sellers' version of events.

In the second interview, Sellers admitted he knew Huff but denied knowledge of the any robbery or that Huff had a weapon.

Sellers in the interview said he knocked a few times and told the woman he was 'Ray Ray.” When she opened the door he walked in and then he heard a noise coming from a bedroom so he went over to check it out but the door was locked. Then, the door opened and shots were fired.

'I moved.......started running to the car,” Sellers said. 'I'm the one that got shot. I didn't have a gun. I didn't see Teran with nothing.”

Sellers said he couldn't identify who shot him.

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