Marion man charged with attempted murder after Cedar Rapids shooting

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Marion man has been charged with attempted murder after a shooting last month in Cedar Rapids.

Dewayne Lamar Hunt, 21, is charged with attempted murder, willful injury resulting in serious injury, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent, possession of a firearm by a felon and use of a dangerous weapon in commission of a crime.

On Aug. 12, Cedar Rapids police responded to a shots fired call in the 3000 block of Pioneer Ave. SE, where they found a woman, Danielle Steele, with gunshot wounds in both of her legs, according to a criminal complaint.

Steele had been sitting outside on a balcony with her son, Mykel Lewis, when the shots were fired. Officials believe Hunt was attempting to kill Lewis but hit his mother instead, First Assistant Linn County Attorney Monica Slaughter said.

Two witnesses identified Hunt as the shooter and said he fled the scene in a gray or silver Dodge Durango. Police located the car nearby and tried to pull it over, but the driver eluded officers, the complaint states.

Hunt was a passenger in the Durango. When the car eventually stopped and was searched, police found a firearm that matched the shell casings at the scene. The gun was found behind the seat where Hunt had been sitting. Hunt was also found to be in possession of ecstasy, according to criminal complaints.

Hunt was arrested and charged on Aug. 12 with possession of a controlled substance. He was released after posting a $1,000 bond. On Aug. 14, a warrant was put out for his arrest because the drug charge was considered a failure to comply with the pretrial release of a different pending case in which he is charged with first-degree robbery. He was arrested again Aug. 21 and held on a cash-only, $25,000 bond.

The attempted murder charge and the other charges related to the shooting were filed Tuesday. Hunt has not yet had his first appearance on those charges.

Hunt was charged with robbery in January 2022 after police say he entered a home with a loaded handgun on New Year’s Day and demanded marijuana from the residents.

During a struggle with the residents of the home — in the 1600 block of Eighth Ave. SE — Hunt fired a shot from his handgun. He was held by the victims until police arrived, according to a criminal complaint.

Hunt was charged with first-degree robbery, carrying a concealed weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm in that case. He was released from jail after posting a $35,000 bond.

Hunt has pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the robbery and has a jury trial scheduled for Sept. 26 for that case.

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