Update: Arrest Warrant Issued in Fatal Iowa City Shooting

(Update: 3:50 p.m.)

Iowa City police have issued an arrest warrant that charges Brandon D. Brown with first-degree murder in Thursday's fatal shooting of a man on Petsel Place.

Brown — who is not in custody — is accused of the fatal shooting Donelle Derrell Lindsey, 30, of Iowa City, according to a news release issued Friday afternoon by authorities.

Brown, 27, has no current address, but previously lived in Calumet City, IL, and Harvey, IL, authorities said. He is described as a black man, 5-feet 9-inches tall, weighing 170 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

According to eyewitnesses, Brown asked Lindsey to walk down the street with him. After walking a short distance, they argued. Brown produced a handgun and allegedly shot Lindsey multiple times at a relatively close range, the police department news release said. Some of the bullets struck Lindsey in the chest. Lindsey was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, where he died from his wounds. 

Brown was last seen running from the area, police said. 

Authorities said Brown may have fled the area in an attempt to avoid apprehension. Anyone with information about Brown's current location is asked to call the Iowa City Police Department at (319) 356-5276 and/or the appropriate local law enforcement agency.

Police said Brown is considered armed and dangerous.

Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to Brown's arrest. Anyone with information may contact CrimeStoppers at (319) 358-8477. All calls are held in strict confidence and anonymity is guaranteed. Individuals providing information do not have to reveal their identity to collect a reward.

Bond is $1 million cash only when Brown is taken into custody.

(Update: Noon)

No more details have been revealed by police as the unidentified killer of an Iowa City man remains at large.

The scene of crime was quiet, as police squad cars sat a silent watch of the crime tape that spanned a cul-de-sac at the end of Petsel Place, winding up to the parking lot of 2347 Petsel Place, where the shooting is said to have taken place.

The mood was quiet and serene, with the only reminder of what had happened before being the police tape and the circles of orange paint outlining around where evidence used to be. As the apartment air conditioning units hummed nearby, television reporters filed their live reports from the scene.

The Press-Citizen has an account of some of the details of the scene as police processed it earlier in the morning.

Officers found Lindsey in front of the residence with gunshot wounds. He was taken to where doctors pronounced him dead.

Friday morning, ICPD crime scene technicians removed several bags of evidence from 2437 Petsel, an apartment building at the end of the cul-de-sac lined with multi-family units. The glass front door of the building was shattered. Up the sidewalk and in front of the building next door, grass streaked with blood was circled with orange police paint.

(Update 10:40 a.m.)

The Gazette spoke with another witness of the shooting, who said he held Lindsey in his arms as he lay injured.

“I came out and saw him lying on the floor,” said Tori Cleggette, 21. ”I held him close so he could breathe while trying to sit up, but it just didn’t work for him.”

(Update: 10:20 a.m.)

A loud popping noise stirred one Petsel Place resident from his sleep a little before 11:30 p.m. last night.

Rob Daniel, 36, of Iowa City says he lives kitty-corner to the location where the shooting took place. He said he had dozed off watching a movie when he heard a loud noise that physically shook the glass door of his back patio door.

"I thought for a moment that my kid had gotten up and started pounding on the door," Daniel said.

Not long after, Daniel said a police car arrived at the scene. Then four more. Then more on the way.

Daniel said he went and opened his back door to hear a woman yelling hysterically to the police.

"This woman was screaming at the cop that someone had been shot and there was a wound in his chest or something and they couldn't revive him," Daniel said.

Daniel's wife and two young children slept through the incident. Daniel woke up his wife to tell her what had happened. Although startled, the pair were assured by the police cars nearby.

"I thought with six police cars there and more on the way, I'm feeling pretty safe," Daniel said.

Daniel said he went outside to talk to a police officer who was at the edge of the scene. He said the officer told him that there was little he could reveal at the time, and he said Daniel "should probably go back inside" for safety purposes.

Daniel said police taped off much of the block from 2437 to his home nearby, actually taping off his driveway. This extensive tape perimeter was removed at about 7:00 a.m. this morning.

(Update: 9:17 a.m.) Police have revealed the name of the shooting victim as Donelle D. Lindsey, 30, "a long time Iowa City resident," according to Iowa City Police Sgt. Zach Diersen.

Sgt. Diersen said on this most recent call with Iowa City Patch that a little more info should be released soon, but the investigation is still ongoing.

(Update: 9:09 a.m.) The Iowa City Press-Citizen is reporting that police know there is a suspect who remains at large, but the public is not considered to be in danger.

Iowa City Police Sgt. Zach Diersen said that he doesn't believe there is a danger to the public at this time.

"Clearly, we don't have the person in custody, so there is someone out there who committed the homicide," he said. "But personally, I don't think there's a lot of danger to the general motoring public."

Here is an account of the scene from the Gazette:

Investigators taped off a large around surrounding the crime scene and spent several hours looking for clues as to what happened. They searched around throughout the night with flashlights. As of 7:30 Friday morning, officers were still on the scene.

Police said they knocked on the doors of those living nearby warning them of the investigation outside. Throughout the morning, the area remained mostly quiet. The few people who wondered onto the investigation scene were asked to leave.

Man Shot Dead at Petsel Place

A man died last evening of what appeared to be gunshot wounds after emergency officials responded to an address on Petsel Place off Melrose Avenue for the report of shots fired.

According to Iowa City Police, emergency responders were called at 11:26 p.m. to 2437 Petsel Place for the report of a shooting. There they found an unresponsive man who appeared to be suffering from gunshot wounds. The man was transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where he was pronounced dead of his injuries.

The identity of the man is being withheld until his family can be notified, according to police.

The incident is under investigation by the Iowa City Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and Johnson County Attorney's Office.

According to the Daily Iowan, the University of Iowa sent out a Hawk Alert early this morning looking for an armed suspect.

The University of Iowa released a Hawk Alert early Friday morning at approximately 12:06 a.m:

EMERGENCY HAWK ALERT: Shooting occured in the area of Melrose and Morman Trek. Police are looking for armed subject. If you are in the area remain indoors Don’t confront suspect. Call 911 only if you have info or an emergency.

Though a Hawk Alert was administered, one University of Iowa Police official said Iowa City Police are handling this case and they have not received any further information. They said they encourage residents to call 911 if they have more information.

Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers is offering a reward of up to $1000 for information. Anyone with information is urged to contact CrimeStoppers at 358-TIPS (8477). All calls are confidential and the tipster's identity does not need to be revealed to collect the reward.

More details will be shared at this space as they are revealed.