In the early hours of September 27, 2020, the life of 28-year-old Black / African American female Takeya M. Hogan Camp was tragically cut short in a wave of violence that erupted in Waterloo, Iowa. What was supposed to be a gathering at a private, after-hours nightclub operating out of a former bar on West 4th Street turned into a scene of chaos and bloodshed.
Amidst a crowd of approximately 100 people, a dispute escalated into a gun battle, with multiple individuals firing weapons inside the packed venue.
When the shooting subsided, Hogan Camp and another individual, 22-year-old Dacarious Burkett, lay fatally wounded. Several other patrons suffered from gunshot wounds or other injuries sustained in the frantic rush to escape the gunfire. The incident sent shockwaves through the community and prompted an extensive investigation by the Waterloo Police Department, who interviewed over 100 witnesses and processed a significant amount of evidence in their search for those responsible.
The investigation led authorities to identify a suspect, Willie Edward Saffold Jr. A warrant for his arrest was issued shortly after the shooting, and he was apprehended in the Chicago area on October 30, 2020, by U.S. Marshals. Initially, Saffold was charged with intimidation with a dangerous weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm. However, as the investigation progressed, the charges against him were upgraded to two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Hogan Camp and Burkett.
Willie Saffold Jr.'s trial commenced in early 2025, nearly four and a half years after the deadly shooting. The prosecution argued that the violence began shortly after Saffold entered the building. The defense, however, contended that while Saffold did fire a weapon, he did so in self-defense and that he was not responsible for the fatal shots that killed the two victims. In a significant turn of events, the jury found Willie Edward Saffold Jr. not guilty on all charges.
