A quiet evening in a Waterloo, Iowa neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire on July 20, 2020. In an alley, the events that unfolded would tragically cut short the life of 15-year-old Cortez J Harrison. Police were called to the area after residents reported hearing shots and seeing someone on the ground. When officers arrived, however, they found no victim, but they did discover numerous spent shell casings, evidence of the violence that had just occurred.
At least one nearby home was also struck by a bullet.
Shortly after the police searched the alley, Cortez arrived at a local hospital. He was unresponsive and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of medical staff, the young man succumbed to his injuries and died on July 21, 2020. His death was ruled a homicide, prompting an investigation by the Waterloo police. They appealed to the public for any information that could lead to an understanding of what happened in the alley that night and who was responsible for the shooting.
In the course of their investigation, a suspect was identified. Andre Collier, 34 years old at the time, was later detained in Haltom City, Texas, in connection with the shooting. While no one has been charged specifically with Cortez Harrison's death, Collier faced charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and flight to avoid prosecution. Court documents revealed that witnesses reported Collier had fired several shots during an exchange of gunfire in which he also sustained a gunshot wound. His legal team suggested that he may have been acting in self-defense.
