DES MOINES, Iowa — Jury selections began Monday morning for the trial against Bravon Tukes, the second suspect charged in the Starts Right Here shooting.
Tukes is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the January 2023 killings of Rashad Carr and Gionni Dameron.
Additionally, he is charged with one count of attempted murder against Will Keeps and one count of criminal gang participation.
Preston Walls, the other suspect in the shooting, was convicted on lesser charges of second-degree murder for Rashad Carr's death and voluntary manslaughter for Gionni Dameron's.
With Tukes' trial being completely separate from Walls, legal experts say his trial could get complicated.
What can we expect in Bravon Tukes' trial?
Tukes is the alleged getaway driver for Preston Walls.
Walls ran and met Tukes in the Mullets parking lot after the shooting, and then later Tukes was pulled over near the scene.
When Tukes was pulled over, Walls ran from police at that stop.
The prosecution must prove that Tukes acted with a specific intent to murder Carr and Dameron.
"You're not dealing with somebody who had directly committed the offense, but somebody who assisted somebody in committing the offense. So it's a different element that you are going to have to show and there are different methods of proof," said Robert R. Riggs, the director of the criminal defense program at Drake Law School.
Riggs says that the "aid and abet" factor in this case will play a significant role in the approach the prosecution takes.
Jury instructions obtained by Local 5 state that mere nearness to, or presence at, the scene of the crime, without more evidence, is not aiding and abetting.
Tukes is now facing four of the same original criminal charges Walls faced. And while Walls was found not guilty on two of those, Riggs says this is a completely different trial.
"We have to understand that each charge is determined by a separate jury. They wanted separate trials, they move to sever, so all these charges will stand. Even though the jury, the jury came back with lesser offenses, and I think a couple not-guilty's on Walls' case, that will have no effect on this case," Riggs said.
The biggest unknown is how a jury will react and view the case.
"So, you never know what a jury is going to do until they actually do it.," Riggs said. "So, is a not guilty possible? Yep. Is guilty as charged possible? Yep."
What was Preston Walls convicted of?
The jury found Walls guilty of:
- Murder in the Second Degree
- Voluntary Manslaughter
- Assault Causing Serious Injury
Walls was originally charged with:
- Murder in the First Degree (two counts)
- Attempt to Commit Murder (one count)
- Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury (one count)
- Criminal Gang Participation (one count)
Walls was found not guilty on two counts: Attempted Murder and Criminal Gang Participation. He will be sentenced on the week of Nov. 6.
What happened at Starts Right Here?
On Jan. 23, 2023 two students, Gionni Dameron and Rashad Carr, were shot and killed at Starts Right Here, a community outreach center for local youth.
In the shooting, founder of Starts Right Here, Will Keeps was also injured. He lost one of his fingers and now has chronic pain when walking.
As discussed in his trial, Walls brought a gun to the school on Jan. 23, 2023. He proceeded to cut of his ankle monitor, later shooting nearly 30 rounds at Carr and Dameron.
Walls fled the scene to meet Tukes. Later that day, both were found by a police officer. Walls fled the vehicle and was located in the woods, while Tukes was aken into custody near the car.
Later, Des Moines police revealed they believe the suspects and the victims belonged to two feuding gangs.