Iowa City man arrested, charged in shots fired incident that caused City High School lockdown

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa City man is facing charges in a shots fired incident in Iowa City last year that caused City High School to go into lockdown.

A criminal complaint says 39-year-old Lawrence Russell is charged with control of a firearm by a felon in connection to the incident.

Police said the gunshots were reported in the 1800 block of High Street at around 4 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2023.

Investigators said they found shell casings in the area and conducted a search warrant on a home there.

During the search, police said they found a Mossberg Rifle and a cell phone with two photos of Russell holding the rifle in his living room.

Russell, a felon, convicted for robbery and delivery of a controlled substance in another state, is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Officers said Russell did not cooperate in the investigation, claiming he didn’t hear or see anything.

City High School was temporarily placed in Secure Mode, keeping all students and staff inside the building with the doors locked while police investigated the incident.

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