Police: Iowa City Man Shoots Gun in Apartment, Rams SUV into Scheels All Sports

An Iowa City man became a one-man wrecking crew Saturday morning.

Thankfully, the only damage he did was to an apartment building, a vehicle, and the front of Scheels All Sports. No injuries were reported, except a cut to Moreno during his arrest.

The rampage started Saturday morning as Joseph Moreno, 23, of Iowa City entered an apartment building at 220 Lafayette Street and discharged a firearm several times. Police say they responded to a welfare check at the scene and located Moreno's roommates in the building and they were unharmed. A subsequent search warrant of apartment #201 recovered evidence showing that a firearm was discharged several times within the residence.

Later, at roughly 2:30 a.m. this morning, Coralville Police responded to an alarm at the Coral Ridge Mall. There the Gazette reports officers found a 2002 Ford Explorer crashed through the front wall of Scheels All Sports and subsequently covered the exits. (The Gazette also has a picture of the SUV in the mall)

Officers said they heard what may have been a gunshot, which led them to believe the person inside could be armed.

The Coralville Police Emergency Response Team later entered the building and found Joseph A. Moreno, 23, of 200 Lafayette St. #201, Iowa City,  inside the store. Moreno was taken into custody at 8:45 a.m.

Coralville Police Chief Barry Bedford said it took authorities several hours to safely locate and take Moreno into custody, but would not comment on the process.

“He did not willingly give himself up,” Bedford said.

It was during this struggle that Moreno received a cut, according to Coralville Police.

Moreno is lucky that no one was injured, as the sequence of events landed him with a bevy of charges including first-degree burglary, a Class B Felony; intimidation with a dangerous weapon, a Class C Felony; two counts of reckless use of a firearm with property damage, an aggravated misdemeanor; carrying weapons, also an aggravated misdemeanor; and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a serious misdemeanor. He is currently in the Johnson County Jail with a $42,000 bond.

Scheels was closed all day Saturday, according to the Gazette, and potential shoppers should call ahead during typical shopping hours to see when it will be open.