What did Preston Walls do? Charges explored as Iowa teen found guilty in fatal shooting of two students

19-year-old Preston Walls has been found guilty of fatally shooting two students at a Des Moines alternative school, on January 23, 2023. The victims have been identifed as Rashad Carr and Gionni Dameron. Further, police have stated that while Walls belonged to a gang, the victims were members of another gang.

Trigger warning: The article contains references to gun violence and shooting. Readers' discretion is advised.

Preston Walls was originally charged with first-degree murder in connection to the deaths. However, he was found guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter. While prosecutors argued that the murders were premedicated, Walls claimed that he shot the victims because he feared for his life.

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Preston Walls was initially charged with first-degree murder, but jury accepted his claim that he was scared when he opened fire

A tragic shooting took place on January 23, 2023 in Des Moines, and the victims who lost lives were part of the Starts Right Here program. Authorities identified the gunman as Preston Walls and charged him with first-degree murder. During the fatal shooting, Walls also shot 49-year-old William Holmes, the founder of the program.

About eight months after the fatal shooting, on Thursday, September 14, a Polk County jury found Preston Walls guilty of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. The jury accepted Walls' defense when he claimed that he acted as he feared for his life, since the victims were opposite gang members.

Further, he was also charged with criminal gang participation, but the jury found him not guilty of the said charge. Thus, despite the original first-degree murder charges, Walls was found guilty of lesser charges.

He was initially charged with attempted murder in connection to the shooting of William Holmes, although he was later found guilty of wilful injury. It has also been confirmed that Walls is eligible for parole. Walls' defense lawyers acknowledged that he shot the victims. However, they claimed that his life was in danger. The defense team claimed that Walls thought that Dameron and Carr would attack him after school.

They also claimed that one of the victims, 18-year-old Gionni Dameron had a gun on him while he was in school that day. During the trial, Preston Walls told jurors,

"I was scared to walk out of that school at 1 o’clock. They waited outside the school for me before."

He added:

"I was going to be in a situation where I could possibly die. And I was scared. I acted out of fear. It was a reaction."

Walls further admitted to shooting Dameron thirteen times, and Carr was shot about nine times. In this fatal shootout, Holmes was struck twice. Within an hour, law enforcement officials took Walls into custody, in connection to the horrific shooting.

Another individual, identified as Bravon Tukes, has been accused of aiding Walls in the shootout. Tukes allegedly drove Walls away, after he shot the two boys. He too faces murder charges, and his trial is set to begin on October 2, 2023.

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The program founder, William Holmes, reportedly tried to escort Walls away

According to prosecutors, all the three boys belonged to gangs. Walls belonged to a gang which had frequent issues and disputes with another gang, and the victims were members of the latter group. They also described that the self-defense claim was "ridiculous." The program had reopened several weeks after the fatal shooting and is operating with about 30 students this fall.

The New York Times reported that if Walls was found guilty of first-degree murder, he would mandatorily be sentenced to life imprisonment. However, since he has been convicted of lesser charges, he would face a maximum sentence of 50 years behind the bars, with possibility of parole. Kimberly Graham, the Polk County attorney, prosecuted the case, and said,

"We appreciate the jury’s service, and at the same time, we disagree with their assessment of the evidence. Regardless of the verdicts, this has been and will always be a horrific tragedy. We are heartbroken for our community, and we grieve with the families."

Authorities shed light on what happened on January 23. Preston Walls reportedly possessed a handgun when he entered the common area at Starts Right Here. His firearm was also equipped with an extended ammunition magazine. Shortly before he opened fire, William Holmes attempted to escort him out for safety purposes.

Walls' defense lawyer Darren Page defended Preston Walls by arguing that although security footage within the school had captured no interaction between his client and the victims, he interpreted their glances and felt that he was in danger. During the closing arguments, he said,

"It’s not necessary that there’s actual danger. He doesn’t have to be shot at. He doesn’t have to wait until there’s a gun pointing at him. But he has to act in the honest and sincere belief the threat existed."

Page claimed that the he is "heartbroken" about the chain of events that took place on that day. He, however, respects the decision of the jury.