In the early morning hours of Saturday, November 2, 2019, the life of Wayne Trabrai Jones, a 31-year-old Black/African American man, was tragically cut short in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Officers responded to a call about a shooting at a residence on the southeast side of the city shortly before 6:00 a.m. Upon arrival, they discovered Jones with life-threatening gunshot wounds.
He was rushed to a local hospital, but tragically succumbed to his injuries just over an hour later.
The initial obituary for Jones stated that he died unexpectedly, leaving the community to mourn a man known for his love of music, particularly rapping and recording, and the cherished time he spent with his family and friends. He was remembered as a handy individual with a culinary arts degree, who also worked in construction and was a member of the Living Waters Church. His sudden and violent death left a void in the lives of his loved ones.
In the days that followed the shooting, Cedar Rapids police investigators worked diligently to piece together the events that led to Jones's death. Their efforts quickly led them to a suspect. On the evening of Sunday, November 3, just a day after the fatal shooting, police located and arrested 36-year-old Jermaine A. Walker. The arrest was made in the parking lot of a Hy-Vee grocery store on Mount Vernon Road SE.
Walker was taken into custody and subsequently charged with first-degree murder, going armed with intent, intimidation with a weapon, and possession of a firearm as a felon. He was booked into the Linn County Jail as the legal process against him began, bringing a swift, albeit initial, development in the quest for justice for Wayne Trabrai Jones.
