Trial delayed again for Cedar Rapids man charged with attempted murder

CEDAR RAPIDS — The attempted murder trial for a Cedar Rapids man who is accused of shooting at two men — seriously injuring one — and also assaulting a woman with a gun in July 2024, which was set to start next month, will be delayed again.

Brian Allen Keys, 61, who is charged with two counts of attempted murder and six other charges, during a pretrial hearing Friday, asked 6th Judicial District Judge Kevin McKeever for a new lawyer, which the judge granted. McKeever will reschedule the trial when Keys’ new lawyer has been appointed.

  Buy Photo

Keys also is charged with willful injury resulting in serious injury and reckless use of a firearm, both felonies; assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, an aggravated misdemeanor; and assault causing bodily injury or mental illness, a serious misdemeanor, in the July 8, 2024 shooting incident.

Shanquisha Barnes, Tyree Smith and Jadis Rhodes told police Keys assaulted Barnes by striking her in the head with a gun when she came to pick up her teenage son at Keys home, in the 3300 block of O Avenue NW, which he shares with Barnes’ mother, according to a criminal complaint.

Smith and Rhodes, who were outside, came in the house to help Barnes, but Keys pointed a firearm at all three in a threatening manner and said he had “something” for them, the complaint stated. Keys then pointed the gun at Rhodes and Smith and pulled the trigger twice, causing two clicks, and then fired it but missed both men.

Smith tried to get the gun from Keys during a struggle, but then Keys fired a shot at Smith’s torso, seriously injuring him, according to the complaint.

Keys admitted he fired twice at Smith but knew he only struck him once and “did not shoot to kill,” he told police.

The teenager also witnessed the shooting and he described Keys going to the door with a firearm, saying “let’s get it poppin" and then Keys "popped" Smith, he said.

Barnes, Smith and Rhodes told police they went to Keys’ house to pick up the teenager, who was visiting Keys and his wife, according to the complaint.

Barnes suffered a laceration and lump over her right eyebrow from the assault and Smith was hospitalized with a serious injury to his kidneys from the gunshot. He required dialysis treatment and was placed on a ventilator.

According to a warrant affidavit, investigators found blood a .380 shell casing inside the front door. There was an unloaded .380 Taurus handgun on an upstairs coffee table and another handgun sitting on the arm rest of a sofa in the house.

After the incident, Barnes told The Gazette Keys became upset when Barnes asked her son to come home to babysit his siblings. Keys wouldn’t give the teen a ride, so he asked his brother, Rhodes, to pick him up and Barnes and Smith went with him.

Barnes said Smith was put in a medically induced coma and couldn’t breathe on his own until the end of July 2024. He was released from the hospital in August, she said.

Trish Mehaffey covers state and federal courts for The Gazette

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com