BURLINGTON, Iowa — A rash of shootings over the past week in Burlington – including one the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 22 that killed a man – are related, and police have several suspects in custody, according to a release issued by the department.
The victim of Tuesday morning’s drive-by shooting near the intersection of Aetna and Gunnison streets, is not being identified, pending notification of his family. The victim was found slumped over the steering wheel of a vehicle with a gunshot wound in his upper body. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses in the area said they heard up to a dozen gunshots ring out shortly after 9:30 a.m.
Previously, on Monday Nov. 21, police were dispatched to the 2100 block of Williams Street, where a man had been shot. An investigation revealed that Donald Hunt, 23, had been shot in his lower body. He was transported to an area hospital where he remains in treatment. Police say they have identified a suspect in that case and are in the process of obtaining a search warrant.
Shortly after the Tuesday shooting, while police were still on the scene investigating, a house in the 400 block of S. Garfield Street was shot at multiple times, with the assailants fleeing after shooting at the home. James Griffin, 35, of Chicago, was injured in that shooting and was transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City for treatment.
Des Moines County deputies were given a description of the vehicle used in the Garfield Street drive by shooting and located it several blocks away where they began a pursuit. It was pulled over near the intersection of Summer and Grove streets and all three occupants were eventually detained. All three remain in police custody and are being questioned.
According to the release, multiple firearms have been recovered. The release also adds that “police have no indication that these were random acts of violence, rather the investigation revealed that the victims and assailants were acquainted.”
Anyone with information regarding the incidents is asked to contact the Burlington Police at (319) 753-8366 or Crime Stoppers (319) 753-6835.