Fatal Iowa City shooting allegedly took place in BLM leader’s apartment

Hunter
03/04/21

The fatal shooting of 19-year-old Quincy Russom last month took place in the apartment of a local Black Lives Matter movement leader, who was arrested on drug charges earlier this week.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Russom was killed on February 12th at the South Governor Street residence, which is being rented by 20-year-old Mazin M Mohamedali. A search warrant was executed on his apartment February 24th, and police reportedly found over 56 grams of marijuana and over 40 ecstasy pills.

Police arrested Mohamedali Tuesday. He faces two controlled substance violations, two counts of failure to affix a tax stamp, and keeping a drug house.

Mohamedali  faced felony charges stemming from the June protests in Iowa City for destroying a $5000 fence protecting the Old Capitol Museum. He allegedly waved other protesters over to help him bring the fence down, and then was seen celebrating.

Later that month, Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness dropped five of the six charges against Mohamedali, and he pleaded to a simple disorderly conduct charge.

His disorderly conduct conviction violated probation on a 2018 armed robbery conviction and he was relocated to the Marshall County Jail after no room was immediately available at Hope House.  The arrest on charges Tuesday could have Mohamedali sentenced to up to 27 years in prison; the armed robbery charges would add another ten to his sentence.  He is currently in the Henry County Jail.