In the early hours of Sunday, August 30, 2015, the life of Justin Montravious Dollen, a 27-year-old Black male, was tragically cut short. The incident unfolded around 3:30 a.m. in the parking lot of Porsches Theater of Arts, a gentlemen's club located at 1850 W. Airline Highway in his hometown of Waterloo, Iowa. Dollen sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the attack.
He was initially rushed to a local hospital before being transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
Waterloo police descended upon the scene, which they would meticulously investigate for more than twelve hours. Their focus appeared to center on two vehicles parked behind the establishment. Crime scene tape cordoned off a back garage door and several cars as investigators videotaped the area and used metal detectors to search for evidence. In the days following the shooting, authorities announced they were searching for a dark-colored, possibly purple, Dodge Durango that may have been connected to the homicide.
A vehicle matching that description was eventually stopped. Inside, police discovered a handgun and made one arrest on weapons charges. However, law enforcement clarified that this individual was not a suspect in Dollen's murder. The investigation continued with police interviewing numerous witnesses, but to date, the case remains unsolved. No primary suspects have been publicly identified, and no arrests have been made directly in connection with the fatal shooting.
Born in Waterloo on August 8, 1988, Justin Dollen was a former student of Waterloo East High School and an employee at Tyson Foods. His death left a void in the community and among his family, which included his father and numerous siblings. The year prior to his death, Dollen had been injured in a separate shooting incident. Authorities continue to ask for anyone with information regarding his unsolved murder to come forward.
