Cedar Rapids man who fired into apartment sentenced to 7 years

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man who fired a gun at five people in an apartment — striking one man — was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison.

Dondre Davon Lee, 21, pleaded guilty in August to reduced charges of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent, willful injury causing bodily injury and reckless use of a firearm, according to his written plea. Lee also was originally charged with five counts of attempted murder and first-degree burglary.

During a sentencing hearing, Lee told the judge he takes “full responsibility” for his actions and has had “a lot of time” in jail to think about what happened June 20, 2020, when he fired into the Westdale Court apartment of Tonell Collins and Cindy Williamson at 3909 20th Ave. SW. Lee said he wanted to change his life and “be a better role model” for his siblings.

According to court documents, Lee fired shots through the door and then entered the apartment and fired more shots at Collins, Williamson, Sewania Stokes, Aaron Montgomery and Raechia Williamson. Collins was shot in his arm.

Todd Weimer, one of Lee’s lawyers, told 6th Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns that Lee had made some bad decisions as a young person, and that two of the victims in the shooting had previous incidents with him that resulted in an assault.

He also pointed to another incident that happened earlier that same June 20 when police responded to a 911 call about a disturbance in the 4000 block of 21st Avenue SW, where Lee was the victim. Police said Lee had a serious but not life-threatening stab wound to the head and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

In that incident, Lee’s mother, Dominique Tierre Lee, 34, was charged with domestic abuse assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and providing false identification, according a criminal complaint.

Dominique Lee, who was in the courtroom Tuesday for her son’s sentencing, pleaded last October to providing false identification to police and the domestic charge was dismissed. She was fined and ordered to pay attorney and other court costs.

Assistant Linn County Attorney Rena Schulte asked Bruns to follow the plea agreement, which tried to balance a violent and dangerous incident with Lee’s lack of criminal history and also give the victims assurance that Lee will serve some prison time.

She asked the judge to run concurrently the charges of going armed with intent, willful injury causing bodily injury and intimidation with a dangerous weapon, each five year sentences; and then run the two-year sentence for reckless use of a firearm consecutively, for a total of seven years in prison. Schulte dismissed the attempted murder and burglary charges as part of the plea agreement.

Bruns ran the sentencing according to the plea agreement and also ordered no-contact orders for five years against Lee to protect each of the victims. The prosecution has 30 days to file for any victim restitution in the case.

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