Gionni Dameron, an 18-year-old Black male, was a student at the Starts Right Here educational program in Des Moines, Iowa, an organization focused on helping at-risk youth. He was working to build a better future for himself when his life was cut short on January 23, 2023.
That afternoon, a gunman opened fire inside the nonprofit’s common area on Southwest 5th Street. Gionni and another student, 16-year-old Rashad Carr, were shot and critically injured.
Both were rushed to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead. The program’s founder, William Holmes, also known as Will Keeps, was seriously wounded as he attempted to de-escalate the situation and escort the shooter from the building. Holmes was shot in his hip and finger but survived his injuries.
Police arrested 18-year-old Preston Walls in connection with the shooting less than an hour after it occurred. Another man, Bravon Tukes, was later charged as the alleged getaway driver. Investigators said the shooting was rooted in a conflict between rival gangs, an affiliation the victims' families disputed. Walls was initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and criminal gang participation. During the trial, Holmes testified that he had been trying to mediate a conflict between Walls and Dameron.
At his trial, Walls admitted to shooting Dameron 13 times, Carr nine times, and Holmes twice. His defense attorneys argued that he acted in self-defense, claiming he feared for his life and believed the other students were going to attack him. The defense noted that Dameron had a gun at the school on the day of the shooting. On September 14, 2023, a jury found Walls, then 19, guilty of the lesser charges of voluntary manslaughter in the death of Gionni Dameron, second-degree murder in the death of Rashad Carr, and assault causing serious injury for the shooting of Will Keeps.
Bravon Tukes was tried separately and, in October 2023, was acquitted of all charges. In January 2024, a judge sentenced Preston Walls to consecutive prison terms totaling 65 years. Under Iowa law, he must serve a mandatory minimum of 40 years before he is eligible for parole. Walls was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to the families of Dameron and Carr.
