On the morning of November 21, 2025, Waterloo police were dispatched around 11 a.m. to a residence at 236 Boston Avenue after a report of a shooting. Officers arrived to find a male suffering from gunshot wounds inside the home. They began life-saving measures until Waterloo Fire personnel took over, and the victim was transported by ambulance to UnityPoint–Allen Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The victim was identified as Nyavais Johnson, a 21-year-old male from Waterloo; public records note that he was lost to gun violence on that date, and official obituary information states that the precise medical cause of death remains pending with the Iowa State Medical Examiner.
Investigators treated the case as a homicide from the outset. The shooting occurred in a residential area of Boston Avenue not far from East Hanover and Logan Street, and police secured the scene while detectives began processing evidence and interviewing potential witnesses. Public reports describe the incident as a single-victim shooting inside the home; there has been no detailed public accounting of what happened immediately before the gunfire, whether there was any struggle, or what relationship, if any, existed between Johnson and the suspect who was later arrested. Authorities have not released information about a possible motive, Johnson’s personal background, or his race or ethnicity, focusing instead on the circumstances of the shooting itself.
Within days, Waterloo Police announced that they had made an arrest “in connection with the homicide investigation.” Detectives identified 31-year-old Jessie James Harmon III and took him into custody. According to police and multiple local news outlets, Harmon has been charged with Intimidation with a Weapon, Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm, and Violation of Probation. These charges are tied to the events surrounding the Boston Avenue shooting but, as of the latest public updates, do not include a specific homicide or murder count. Officials have emphasized that these are criminal accusations and that Harmon, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The investigation into Johnson’s killing remains active. Police have reiterated public appeals for anyone with information about the shooting—whether it concerns what happened at the Boston Avenue residence, possible prior disputes, or Harmon’s alleged involvement—to contact the Waterloo Police Detective Division or Cedar Valley Crime Stoppers. Authorities have not released further details about ballistic evidence, possible additional suspects, or any broader context for the violence, leaving many aspects of the case unresolved even as an arrest has been made in connection with the incident that claimed Johnson’s life.
