RELATED: ‘It should be a safe area:’ Iowa City community responds to fatal H-Bar shooting

A Cedar Rapids man was arrested in connection to the fatal shooting at Iowa City’s H-Bar in October. 

Cedar Rapids resident Antonio Scotton, 19, was arrested on March 9 by Iowa City police and charged with voluntary manslaughter and intimidation with a dangerous weapon, according to a press release from the Iowa City Police Department. 

Iowa City police previously arrested Scotton for his role in starting a brawl outside of H-Bar, located at 220 S. Van Buren St.

According to court documents, Scotton was involved in an altercation with the victim Waymond Thomas, 36, and a friend of Thomas on the night of the shooting outside H-Bar on Oct. 23, 2022, 

The documents also explain that during the fight, a gun belonging to Thomas’ friend fell on the ground, and Scotton picked it up and began firing it. Thomas and his friend then proceeded to run away, although but Thomas was shot.

Iowa City law enforcement officers responded to the scene and found Thomas and rendered first-aid before the Johnson County Ambulance Service arrived and transported him to a hospital. Thomas would die from his injuries while in the hospital.

In the months since the shooting, Iowa City police have arrested Scotton for starting the fight outside the bar, as well as another Cedar Rapids man for his involvement in the conflict. The City of Iowa City also filed an abatement petition on Oct. 28 seeking to reduce H-Bar’s operating hours.

According to the petition, there had been 173 calls for service to H-Bar from Jan. 1 to when the petition was filed. The number was a 4,400 percent increase compared to the period of 2016-2021.

In a press release accompanying the petition, the city said it had “unsuccessfully sought to address ongoing public safety issues with the property owners.”

The Daily Iowan was able to speak with H-Bar co-owner James Miller in October regarding the shooting. Miller said H-Bar wasn’t responsible for policing the alley outside the bar, which the owners don’t own.

“It needs to be known, and it needs to be made aware that we’re doing absolutely everything within our power to secure and keep the people safe within our power range,” Miller said. “I cannot keep somebody safe if they leave my business.”