Des Moines Police make 2nd arrest in deadly outreach center shooting
DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - Police have charged a 19-year-old with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and criminal gang participation - the same charges they gave to 18-year-old Preston Walls shortly after the shooting Monday.
The shooting was reported at about 12:53 p.m. on January 23rd, at Starts Right Here, a nonprofit organization focused on helping at-risk youth. Starts Right Here was created by activist and rapper Will Keeps, who was one of the three people shot that day.
The other two were 18-year-old Gionni Dameron and 16-year-old Rashad Carr, who were both killed.
Investigators say evidence in the investigation indicates that Walls was present at Starts Right Here with a 9mm handgun. Keeps attempted to escort Walls from the building. Walls shot both teenage victims and Keeps and fled the scene on foot.
Shortly after the incident police say they saw a suspicious vehicle leave the scene. They conducted a traffic stop on that vehicle. Two people remained in the vehicle, while Walls fled on foot. Officers followed Walls into a wooded area and had K-9 units sniffing the scene. Walls was later taken into custody without incident.
Officials say that evidence also indicates that Walls cut off a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor roughly 16 minutes before the shooting.
Now, Des Moines Police have arrested a second man in connection with the deadly shooting at Starts Right Here that killed two teenagers and seriously injured a well-known rapper and community activist.
Police have charged 19-year-old Bravon Michael Tukes with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and criminal gang participation. Investigators say Tukes drove the vehicle that Walls was in after the shooting.
Both Tukes and Walls have been identified as members of the same criminal gang, and police say the two committed these crimes with that gang membership.
The shooting remains under investigation.
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