Investigation Continues Into Fatal I-29 Speedway Shooting
Two Omaha men died after being shot in the parking lot outside a concert at the I-29 Speedway near Pacific Junction Saturday night.
As of early Tuesday afternoon, no arrests had been made in the shooting deaths of two men Saturday night at the I-29 Speedway near Pacific Junction.
The victims, Marcus L. Johnson, 28, and Charles A. Williams Jr., 27, are both from Omaha.
The incident occurred in the parking lot at the motorsports racing track just before 9 p.m., according to a press release from the Iowa Department Of Public Safety. An outdoor concert featuring the Hip-Hop music of Lil Boosie, Rob49 and Rich The Factor was taking place at the venue at the time of the shooting. The concert was scheduled to last until 11 p.m. and was the culmination of a day-long schedule of events scheduled to take place at the speedway, including a car show, comedy show and drag racing.
Law enforcement investigators have not released details regarding the shooting, but a post on the I-29 Speedway Facebook page by general manager Doug Whitworth on Monday stated, “The 2 victims were just walking towards the concert entrance when a vehicle drove up to them and the vehicle occupants shot the victims from inside of the vehicle, they then drove out of the facility. There were no words exchanged, no arguments, and no warning.
“There were deputies within 20 feet of the shooting and the criminals did not care.”
The Facebook post expressed condolences to the victims’ families and friends and noted that the day’s activities leading up to the concert had been uneventful before the shooting.
“The car show and racing program started off at 10 a.m. in the morning and went on for the entire day and into the evening. The people that attended and participated in the event were fantastic. There wasn’t a single incident and the ‘vibe’ that carried on throughout the day was super relaxed and very enjoyable,” the post said. “The concert portion of the program was held on the south side of the facility in front of the road course grandstands and started around 7:30 p.m.”
Whitworth said in the post the promoter of the car show and concert employed 20-plus armed security guards as well as 10 uniformed officers for the entire event.
First responders from multiple agencies responded to the shooting incident, including the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division Of Criminal Investigation, Omaha Police Department, Glenwood Fire & Rescue and multiple responders from other agencies in the area. According to published reports, the concert was cancelled just before 10 p.m. and concert attendees had to pass through a check-point before leaving the venue.
Authorities are asking anyone who has information about the shooting to contact the Mills County Sheriff’s Office at 712-527-4871. The investigation is ongoing.