Iowa City Police: Transient Accused of Discharging 9mm Handgun in Waterfront Hy-Vee Bathroom

A transient with past fire arm charges in Chicago has been charged with a variety of gun-related misdemeanors after he discharged a 9mm handgun, apparently by accident, in the bathroom of a Waterfront Hy-Vee.

According to a Iowa City Police complaint, on Saturday night at 8:28 p.m., employees at the Waterfront Hy-Vee, at 1720 Waterfront Drive, were surprised to hear a single gunshot coming from within one of the store's bathrooms. They then saw a black male exiting and hurriedly making his way toward the Iowa City Homeless Shelter.

When officers arrived at the scene, employees told police that the man had been the only one in the restroom at the time of the incident, and they found a 9mm casing on the restroom floor. Officers then went to the shelter and spoke to the man identified by workers as the shooter, later IDed by police as, Braelon J. White, 23, address unknown.

Further investigation found a 9mm and several magazines of ammunition behind Hy-Vee, according to the complaint, along with a K-Mart identification card belonging to White. There also was a shoe print in the bathroom that matched the shoe that White had been wearing, according to the complaint.

With this evidence, police arrested White on Monday and charged him carrying weapons, an aggravated misdemeanor; reckless use of a firearm, a simple misdemeanor; and discharing a firearm within city limits, a violation of an Iowa City ordinance. Iowa online courts records also show that White has been charged with a felony for "dominion/control of firearm/offensive weapon" as a felon.

Iowa City Police Sgt. Vicki Lalla said to her knowledge police were unable to determine why White had fired the gun in the restroom.

White was booked into the Johnson County Jail on Monday and his bonds are set as still active, according to online court records.