On the night of Saturday, January 8, 2022, a sense of dread pierced the air in Waterloo, Iowa. At approximately 9:57 PM, the urgent tones of a 9-1-1 call reporting a shooting in progress broke the evening's calm, directing law enforcement to 508 Broadway Street. Upon their arrival, a tragic scene unfolded. Officers discovered Courtney Lamont Harris, a young Black / African American male, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was 18 years old.
Despite the immediate first aid rendered by the officers on the scene, their efforts were in vain. When the Waterloo Fire Department arrived, Courtney Lamont Harris was pronounced dead, his life cut short by an act of violence.
The investigation into the death of Courtney Lamont Harris was a priority for the Waterloo Police Department. For months, detectives worked to piece together the events of that fatal January night. Their persistence paid off, and a breakthrough in the case came in the spring. On Thursday, April 21, 2022, a suspect was formally charged in connection with the shooting. The individual identified and arrested was 20-year-old Eugene Love Jr.
The arrest of Eugene Love Jr. brought a significant development to the case. He was charged with first-degree murder for his alleged role in the death of Courtney Lamont Harris. It was revealed that at the time the murder charge was filed, Love was already in custody at the Black Hawk County Jail. He had been taken off the street in January on unrelated weapons charges, specifically for firearms possession. This prior arrest meant that he was not an ongoing threat to the public while the homicide investigation was proceeding. The charges brought a measure of resolution to the investigation, though the community was left to mourn the loss of a young life.
