Cedar Rapids man convicted on lesser charge in fatal shooting

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Linn County jury Wednesday convicted a Cedar Rapids man of a lesser charge in the fatal shooting of Jorge Maldonado-Vasquez on Feb. 15 of last year.

Brannon Johnson, 22, originally charged with first-degree murder, was found guilty of second-degree murder and faces up to 50 years in prison.

The jury deliberated about six or seven hours over two days following a five-day trial.

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter, after the verdict, said a clear message was sent by the jury.

“The right to use deadly force is not without limits,” Slaughter said. “Mixing alcohol, drugs and guns is a lethal combination. Jorge lost his life because of the defendant’s impaired judgment. Though this verdict will not bring Jorge back, we hope that his family and loved ones can find some peace and solace knowing justice has been served.”

Slaughter also wanted to thank the jury for their time and “careful” consideration of this case.

According to testimony, Jennica Cicalo, Maldonado-Vasquez’s roommate, said he was fatally shot after telling her and her co-worker, Johnson, to be quiet around 4:30 a.m. because he was trying to sleep.

Jennica Cicalo testified last Wednesday that some of the early morning hours of Feb. 15, 2023, are “fuzzy” because she was intoxicated, but she recalled what happened in those early morning hours to Maldonado-Vasquez, 27, of Cedar Rapids, at their Windsor on the River apartment, 2106 Buckingham Dr. NW.

Maldonado-Vasquez was in the bedroom trying to sleep while she and Johnson were drinking alcohol and watching TV in the living room. Maldonado-Vasquez came into the living room three times complaining about the noise. The last time he started arguing with Johnson, who stood up from the sofa and tapped his right side, saying he had his gun, she said.

Cicalo said Maldonado-Vasquez said “’What, you’re going to shoot me. Really?” as if he didn’t believe Johnson. She got in between the two before Maldonado-Vasquez pushed her back onto the sofa as Johnson was pointing the gun.

Cicalo, tearing up, said she heard two gunshots and then everything went “blurry.” Her ears were ringing from the shots and she felt like she was “looking through a filter.” She heard heavy breathing, which she thought was Maldonado-Vasquez, on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds.

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Cicalo said Maldonado-Vasquez wasn’t armed and didn’t try to punch Johnson.

Johnson fired seven times at Maldonado-Vasquez, striking him a total of six times in the liver, lung and heart, according to testimony.

The defense argued Johnson felt like he needed a weapon because of Maldonado-Vasquez’s abusive behavior when he was drinking, and Johnson acted “legally” in discharging it against Maldonado-Vasquez. The defense also pointed out that Johnson called 911, didn’t leave the scene and cooperated with police.

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