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Prosecutor: Fatal shooting outside Cedar Rapids bar was revenge
Gang ‘tensions, animosity’ have continued for years, he tells jury
Feb. 12, 2025 7:23 pm
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CEDAR RAPIDS — A prosecutor said Wednesday the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Kenyauta Vesey-Keith outside a Cedar Rapids bar in 2023 stemmed from another fatal shooting seven years earlier.
There had been ongoing “tensions and animosity” between Vesey-Keith’s gang, called BNA, and a rival gang, called MOB, Assistant Linn County Attorney Jordan Schier said during his opening statement.
Denzel Wilson, 25, of Cedar Rapids, who is on trial this week for killing Vesey-Keith, was a member of MOD, Schier said. Another member of Wilson’s gang was Brandon Johnson, 21, of Cedar Rapids, who Vesey-Keith fatally shot during a street fight on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids in 2016.
Schier said it was that “bitterness” among the rivals that led Wilson to kill Vesey-Keith early on June 11, 2023, outside the Poppa N Tommyz bar at 1323 First Ave. SE. Vesey-Keith and his girlfriend, Rosie Clandio, were going to a party that night at the bar, Schier said.
Wilson is charged with first-degree murder and going armed with intent. A jury was selected late Tuesday and testimony started Wednesday. The trial is expected to go into next week.
Schier said while Vesey-Keith walked by people waiting to get in the bar, he was ambushed by Wilson who fired four times, hitting him in the neck and his side.
Prosecution witnesses will testify about seeing Wilson step out of the line and shoot Vesey-Keith, Schier told jurors. Surveillance videos taken from the neighborhood and bar captured the shooting.
There was no provocation by Vesey-Keith — the shooting was out of revenge, Schier said.
Aaron Eddy, Wilson’s attorney, said the lawyers have different “outlooks” on the events that night. This case isn’t a “whodunit” — the difference is about what the evidence means. Wilson did shoot a gun that night, Eddy said, but that’s not the end of the case.
Several of the witnesses will say there was tension when Vesey-Keith showed up because people knew his deadly reputation and he was seen “lurking” around the corner of the bar. Wilson and another witness were on “edge” when they saw Vesey-Keith outside.
It was a “split second decision” Wilson made to use his gun, Eddy said. Wilson knew Vesey-Keith was a “killer” with a gun and didn’t have the opportunity to retreat.
Witnesses hear shots
Saresa Keith, Vesey-Keith’s mother, testified she received text messages and phone calls from her son that day and again about 10:56 p.m. June 10, hours before the shooting. He told her if anything happened he has protection — meaning a gun. But he also was with his girlfriend and her sister.
Keith said she was worried about him because he was going out clubbing. Vesey-Keith hadn’t done much of that since he was acquitted in 2018 of the fatal shooting, citing self-defense.
Keith said her son knew Wilson and she also was familiar with him. She knew Wilson was in the MOB gang because he had a tattoo.
Vesey-Keith told his mother during a phone call that he saw “Pedro” — Wilson’s street name — that night in downtown Cedar Rapids.
Jalen Jackson testified he ran into Wilson that night — June 10 — outside downtown’s Need Pizza. They used to work together, and Jackson said he isn’t associated with any gangs.
Jackson said he was with Melissa Thiher, his then girlfriend, but she went to another restaurant to eat. Wilson came into the pizza restaurant and joined him.
Schier asked Jackson if Wilson seemed scared or worried that night, but Jackson said no. They were having fun and decided to go to the Green Gable after meeting up with Thiher.
Jackson said knew what Vesey-Keith looked like and didn’t see him downtown when they left the pizza restaurant. The three then decided to go to Poppa N Tommyz.
Surveillance videos were shown to the jury and Jackson identified himself, Thiher and Wilson at the places they went that night.
When they got to Poppa N Tommyz, a line of people was waiting outside to get in, so they got in line. Jackson saw Vesey-Keith coming around the corner from the parking lot. Vesey-Keith got in line, but then walked back toward the parking lot.
Jackson said Wilson saw Vesey-Keith at that point and seemed to “tighten up.” Jackson told Wilson to “chill out.”
Jackson said he felt Wilson’s mood change, but Wilson never said he was scared or wanted to leave. Vesey-Keith didn’t seem to acknowledge Wilson. He came back, talking on his phone.
Vesey-Keith walked by line and that’s when Jackson heard gunshots from behind him. Jackson said he told police he didn’t know who shot Vesey-Keith, but police didn’t show him the surveillance video.
Schier asked if he recognized the person seen stepping forward from the line with his arm extended and shooting at Vesey-Keith. Jackson said the shooter was Wilson.
Jackson said he heard two or three shots as he and Thiher started running. Wilson also ran and got in the car with them, Jackson said. Wilson was telling him where to drive.
Jackson dropped off Wilson in the southwest area of Cedar Rapids and never saw him after that night.
On cross examination, Jackson said that after Vesey-Keith was killed, somebody fired gunshots at his mother’s house and he thought it was retaliation for what he witnessed that night.
Thiher testified she was intoxicated that night and didn’t recall many details, but remembered going to Poppa N Tommyz and hearing two or three gunshots. She didn’t remember seeing anybody shot until she was shown the surveillance video.
She identified the shooter, in the video, as Wilson.
Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com
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