Prosecutors trying to extradite Cedar Rapids man charged in deadly nightclub shooting

CEDAR RAPIDS — The second man arrested in the deadly shooting at the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge in April remains in an Illinois prison on a parole violation and Illinois authorities have refused to return him to Iowa, despite a signed waiver of extradition.

Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said Tuesday his office is taking all the “legal avenues” to bring Dimione Walker, 29, of Cedar Rapids, back to Iowa to face pending charges of first-degree murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent and felon in possession of a firearm.

The office is now obtaining a governor’s warrant and is working with Iowa and Illinois coordinators to expedite Walker’s return.

Walker is being held at Stateville Prison in Joliet, Ill., on parole violations for possession of a weapon.

In the nightclub incident, Walker is accused of fatally shooting Michael Valentine, 25, of Cedar Rapids, on April 10.

The complaint, which will provide details of the charges for Walker, isn’t in public records because he won’t be formally charged until he has an initial appearance in Linn County District Court, Maybanks said.

On advice from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, Maybanks and the prosecutor handling this case filed the trial information, which includes the charges and witnesses in the case and is authorized by the county attorney and approved by a judge.

Walker, who served time in an Iowa prison, has a criminal history in Iowa and Illinois, starting with juvenile cases in Johnson County involving theft and drugs, which were filed between 2006 and 2010. He also had several adult cases in Johnson County involving theft and drugs starting in 2011. Some of the cases were dismissed, and Walker pleaded guilty to other cases and was sentenced to probation for them.

In 2017, he was involved in two more criminal cases but those charges were dropped as part of a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to trafficking a stolen weapon used in a crime.

Walker was sentenced in 2018 to five years in prison and he was released in September 2019 with credit for the time he had already served in jail during the court process, according to the Iowa Department of Corrections. He was discharged from work release in April 2020.

Timothy Rush also has been charged and is accused of fatally shooting Nicole Owens, 35, his girlfriend and mother of his 1-year-old daughter, and seriously injuring Marvin Cox, who was shot in the head at Taboo on April 10.

Rush was working security at Taboo the night of the shooting, his lawyer said in April during a bail review hearing.

Valentine and Owens, both of Cedar Rapids, were at the club to celebrate a birthday of a mutual friend when the shooting broke out just before 1:30 a.m.

Rush has pleaded not guilty to 15 charges in Linn County District Court: second-degree murder; three counts of willful injury causing serious injury; intimidation with a dangerous weapon; three counts of reckless use of a firearm causing serious injury; three counts of willful injury causing bodily injury; three counts of reckless use of a firearm causing bodily injury; and felon in possession of a firearm.

He “fired intentionally and indiscriminately,” with what police believe was a 9 mm handgun, into the large crowd at the club, according to the complaint.

After further investigation, an amended complaint states Rush also shot Alazia Cotton and Makayla Stokes, causing them serious injuries, and Traniece Worley, Denise Triplett and Richard Nicksion, who suffered bodily injuries.

The complaint stated 10 people were shot, but does not name the other victims.

Rush remains in jail on a $1.5 million bond. His trial is set for March 28.

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