Cedar Rapids man convicted of lesser charge in fatal shooting outside Iowa City hookah bar

IOWA CITY — A Cedar Rapids man was convicted last week of unintentionally causing the death of an Iowa City man who he shot outside of an Iowa City hookah bar in 2022.

Antonio Steven Scotton, 21, pleaded guilty in writing on July 5 to involuntary manslaughter and participating in a riot. He admitted to shooting Waymond Thomas, 36, of Iowa City, outside the H-Bar, 220 S. Van Buren St. on Oct. 23, 2022. Thomas was taken to the hospital and died.

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Scotton, then 19, was arrested in November 2022 after being involved in a large fight that started inside the hookah bar before the shooting happened outside, according to court documents. Witnesses identified Scotton as the man who punched and kicked a woman who fell and was knocked unconscious.

Scotton and another person were walking away from the H-Bar when Thomas and a friend confronted them about the earlier assault, a criminal complaint stated. Thomas punched Scotton, and a fight broke out between the four individuals.

During the fight, Thomas’ friend dropped a gun. Scotton picked it up and began firing. Everyone started running away, but Thomas was struck by gunfire. At least one bullet went through the wall of the H-Bar, the complaint stated.

Scotton faces up to 10 years in prison and will be sentenced Aug. 9 in Johnson County District Court.

Ruling restrict’s hookah bar’s hours

Following the shooting, the city filed a nuisance abatement petition against the property, which also had an increase in serious incidents and a spike in calls for service.

There were 23 calls for service to 220 S. Van Buren St. between 2016 and 2021, according to police. Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 23, 2022, there were 173 calls for service at the address.

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The city then filed for a temporary injunction in December 2022, to limit hours of operation. The owners agreed the bar would close and have no customers inside after 2 a.m. The owners also agreed to allow Iowa City police officers to enter during open hours to perform “community caretaking functions.”

The temporary agreement was to remain in place until a permanent resolution could be reached, according to the city.

The owners of Groundwork, doing business as the H-Bar, were found in contempt in May 2023 after violating the temporary injunction on four separate dates.

A judge ordered the owners to pay a $500 sanction for each of those violations, totaling $2,000.

The violations were on Jan. 1, March 4 and 5, and April 9, according to an order filed in 2023 by 6th Judicial District Judge Ian Thornhill.

The Groundwork owners — James Miller, Katrell Sykes, David Sykes and Malik Maxwell — also were ordered to pay all costs associated with the contempt action.

According to court documents, the hookah bar stayed open past 2 a.m. to warrant the violations.

On July 2, a judge granted the city’s default judgment against Groundwork and another associated company, JFMC — doing business as Pregame Lounge — because the defendants failed to file answers on an amended petition regarding H-Bar being a public nuisance.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns ruled the operation of a hookah bar by Groundwork and Pregame Lounge between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. is a public nuisance. The companies also are permanently prohibited from operating a hookah lounge of similar establishment within Iowa City between those hours.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com