Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the suspect has been taken into custody.
Authorities say the man believed to be responsible for a shooting in Ames Sunday evening has been taken into custody. The Ames Police Department reports that 20-year-old Demarcus Stokes of Cedar Rapids was wanted on an attempted murder warrant after he entered the McDonald’s at approximately 10:47 p.m. Sunday, then went back out to a red car and returned with a shotgun. The targets of the attack, a man and woman in the restaurant, say Stokes fired at them, missing and shooting out a window. No injuries were reported, but the potential victims were able to identify Stokes to the authorities. The car Stokes was last seen driving was found abandoned in Story County. At approximately 5:43 a.m. Monday, Greene County authorities were notified cell phone pings showed Stokes was traveling in a gray 2001 Chevrolet Suburban enroute to Jefferson on U.S. Highway 30. The attempt to locate Stokes was not successful and the pings later showed the suspect east of Jefferson and heading south to Highway 141. According to Ames Police Commander, Jason Tuttle, Stokes changed vehicles a second time before he was taken into custody without incident at 4:15 p.m. Monday in Polk County, Mo. He remains in custody and is awaiting extradition back to Iowa.
