Cedar Rapids man arrested after weekend shots fired

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man was arrested this week on charges that he shot several times into a house on Saturday.

Nathaniel Nelson Jr., 20, is charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon, trafficking stolen weapons, going armed with intent, possession of a firearm by a felon, use of a dangerous weapon in commission of a crime and reckless use of a firearm.

Cedar Rapids police responded to the 1500 block of Park Ave. SE on Saturday for a report that multiple shots had been fired into a residence. Officers found four bullet holes in the living room and one next to the front door, according to a criminal complaint.

The person living in the house is the mother of the children of Semaje Star, who Nelson is known to be feuding with, the complaint states.

Police saw two individuals running from the scene and were able to track one of them, who turned out to be Nelson, with a K-9 officer. Nelson was found hiding under a porch a few blocks from where the shots were fired.

The dog also led officers to a 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun, which appeared to have been thrown into a yard near where Nelson was found and matched the shell casings found at the shots fired scene. The gun was also linked to another recent shooting targeting Star, according to the complaint.

Nelson had his first appearance in court on Tuesday and is being held in the Linn County Correctional Center on a $75,000 bond.

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