Police investigate shooting death of 3-year-old Coralville boy
Editor's Note: A news release from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation misspelled Damari Sanders' first name. The child's first name has been corrected in this story.
Iowa police officials say the Sunday shooting death of 3-year-old Damari Sanders of Coralville is under investigation.
Sanders was discovered with gunshot injuries by Coralville police in an apartment in the 900 block of Boston Way in Coralville at 12:19 p.m. Sunday. Emergency personnel took the boy to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where he died at 6:56 p.m., a news release said.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety's Division of Criminal Investigation is working with the Coralville Police Department and the Johnson County Attorney's Office on the investigation into Sanders' death and may provide more details in the coming days. No one has been criminally charged.
Mitch Mortvedt, the assistant director of DCI, told the Press-Citizen on Tuesday it is too early to determine whether this was a homicide or an accidental shooting.
"We're waiting for autopsy results and it's definitely suspicious in the fact that it is a 3-year-old that died of a gunshot wound," he said.
More: 3-year-old Coralville boy dies in shooting, Iowa investigators say
Mortvedt said DCI and Coralville police will continue investigating, interviewing family and friends of the victim. He did not provide further details about the incident but did say the public is not in any danger related to the shooting. He did not say whether the weapon was fired within the home or outside, or if the child, or another person, pulled the trigger.
"Obviously it is a horrible, horrible situation for him and his family, but we're just trying to tie up some loose ends and wait for autopsy results as well," he said.
Mortvedt said he hopes investigators can release more information later this week.
The Press-Citizen reached out to the Coralville Police Department on Tuesday but did not hear back before deadline. Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness deferred comment to the DCI.
The Johnson County Medical Examiner's office did not disclose the preliminary cause of death for Sanders, but said it would likely take up to six weeks for the information to become public after the investigation is complete.
More: 'Just a good human being': Coralville police officer dies from medical emergency while on duty
Shortly after responding to the shooting incident, Coralville police Sgt. John Williams died from an acute medical emergency, while still on duty. The Police Department posted the news on its Facebook page.
There is no obituary nor any word of funeral arrangements yet listed for Williams or Sanders.
Coralville Mayor Meghann Foster told the Press-Citizen that the city is still in shock and is mourning with the families of Sanders and Williams over the holiday weekend.
"We grieve for the loss of this precious little boy who still should be with us and we grieve for his mother. And we also grieve for the family of Sgt. Williams, who is also gone too soon," she said.
On Tuesday, Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chair Royceann Porter started a GoFundMe for Sanders' family, including his mother Tamika Sanders and her two other children, which has raised over $1,200 as of Wednesday morning.
"While funeral arrangements are underway, we as a community must step up to show full support to this mom in her time of need. The day she lost her son-a piece of her heart was lost too," the GoFundMe post read.
More: Father of 4-year-old who allegedly shot herself to death charged
George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at (515) 350-6307, GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Shooting death of 3-year-old Coralville boy under police investigation
