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Cedar Rapids man convicted in fatal shooting now faces federal gun charge
Trish Mehaffey
Sep. 23, 2021 1:54 pm, Updated: Sep. 23, 2021 2:31 pm
CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids man, who was sentenced to 10 years for unintentionally shooting an 18-year-old woman and violating probation on a gun conviction, now faces a firearms charge in federal court.
Larenzo L. Burnett, 21, was charged earlier this month with one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
According to an indictment, Burnett had been convicted of a gun crime in March 2020 and was an unlawful drug user — of marijuana — on Dec. 24 of last year.
Burnett pleaded not guilty, and his trial is set Nov. 15 in U.S. District Court.
If convicted, Burnett faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
In July, Burnett was sentenced in Linn County District Court to 10 years in state prison for involuntary manslaughter, tampering with a witness and his probation was revoked on an intimidation with a dangerous weapon conviction.
Burnett, in a written plea, admitted to recklessly discharging a gun Dec. 22 of last year and unintentionally causing the death of Marisa Doolin.
She was shot in the face and died Dec. 26 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
A criminal complaint stated Burnett was waving a weapon around Doolin’s face, and the gun discharged when she tried to push it away while she and Burnett were in an apartment at 2110 Westdale Dr. SW.
Burnett and another person in the apartment at the time fled after Doolin was shot. Doolin was found at 3:25 p.m., lying on the couch, according to the criminal complaint.
Burnett and the witness — who wasn’t identified — initially told police Doolin was shot through a window by an unknown person, according to the complaint. But police said there was no damage to any windows and a single shell casing was found inside the apartment.
Two days after the shooting, Burnett in a phone call from the Linn County Jail, threatened the witness, saying to not talk to police and “to be ready for whatever is coming to him,” according to police.
Burnett also has a pending burglary charge out of Michigan and has waived extradition. He would serve his Iowa prison term and possibly time on the federal charge before being sent back to Michigan.
Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com