By Ciara Perez, Investigative Journalist | iSkyCreations – News & Media (ISC)
Published Feb 5th, 2024
Des Moines, Iowa – a significant chapter in the fight against local gun violence came to a close today. Walter John Dawson Jr., a 26-year-old from Des Moines, was handed a hefty sentence of 120 months in federal prison. His crime? Being caught with a firearm—a serious offense given his status as a convicted felon, and all the more alarming due to his connection to a series of drive-by shootings that had the community on edge earlier this year.
The story came to light during a desperate search by the Des Moines Police Department to put an end to a frightening two-week period of drive-by shootings across the city. Dawson emerged as a key figure in this terrifying spree, having fired into homes where people lived, worked, and slept. The break in the case came when Dawson was found asleep in a stolen car. Next to him, a loaded gun with an extended magazine lay, silent but potent evidence of his guilt.