Cedar Rapids Police say weekend shootings are related

CEDAR RAPIDS — Police said the pair of shooting incidents this past weekend are related.

'Police believe that the drive-by shooting (Sunday) was retaliation for the Redmond Park investigation,' said Greg Buelow, the city's public safety spokesman.

Police first responded to Redmond Park, 1545 Third Ave. SE, around 8:30 p.m. Saturday for a report of shots fired. Responding officers learned two people had been shot and taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A natural gas meter box was also struck with a bullet, police said.

Police responded to a second shooting around 11:43 a.m. Sunday at an apartment complex in the 5000 block of First Avenue SW. Buelow said a woman inside an apartment suffered a non-life threatening injury in the shooting when a bullet went through a window and grazed her. Buelow described the shooting as a drive-by.

Buelow said police believe Sunday's shooting was in response for the Saturday night shooting, but so far, no arrests have been made.

'The police are working on identifying the groups that are involved,' he said. 'We believe this is two groups of individuals settling a dispute among them.'

One thing that is hampering both investigations is the lack of cooperation from both witnesses and victims, Buelow said. For instance, police believe roughly 30 people witnessed the Redmond Park shooting, but many of them are not coming forward with information.

'Those involved, witnesses and victims, need to step forward and provide that vital information to solve these cases,' he said. 'When you have a lack of information from some victims and some witnesses, it makes the investigation more challenging.'

Buelow said anyone with information on the shootings can report it anonymously via the Crime Stoppers tip line, 1-800-CS-CRIME.