18-year-old will plead next week to killing teen Michael McCune in 2023

CEDAR RAPIDS — An 18-year-old Cedar Rapids man — accused of planning with three other teens to kill 16-year-old Michael Alexander McCune in 2023 — will plead to second-degree murder next week.

Tramontez Lockett was originally charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit a forcible felony, first-degree theft, and going armed with intent.

Instead of facing a life sentence for first-degree murder, he will now face up to 50 years with mandatory minimum to be determined by a judge, if he goes forward with the plea agreement. He backed out of a plea agreement in July and his trial was set for Feb. 4.

According to the Linn County Attorney’s Office, Lockett is set to plead Jan. 24 in Linn County District Court.

The other teens involved have pleaded or will plead for participating in the “targeted” fatal shooting of McCune over past conflicts stemming from their rival gang affiliations and the time some of them spent together at the State Training School in Eldora.

Baynon Berry, known as “BJ,” now 17, originally charged with first-degree murder and other charges as an adult, pleaded earlier this month to second-degree murder and faces up to 50 years in prison.

According to hearings and criminal complaints in the case, Lockett, who was 16 on Feb. 18, 2023, started the deadly chain of events that night, as he messaged McCune through Snapchat, according to court documents.

Lockett knew McCune was on a home visit from the Eldora training school and arranged to pick up McCune at the Tan Tara Apartments, 1640 F Ave. NW in Cedar Rapids.

Lockett and Devin Gardner, 17 at the time, of Maquoketa, were identified on a video surveillance as stealing a vehicle earlier in the day and picking up two others — Dante Irvin, 15 at the time, and Berry, 16 at the time — before going to the apartments.

When they drove to the apartment building and saw McCune, Irvin and Berry started shooting at him, according to court hearings. One of them ran into the apartment building, continuing to shoot at McCune at close range.

Cedar Rapids police found McCune with eight gunshot wounds about 11:30 a.m. Feb. 18 inside the entryway of one of the apartment buildings. The fatal shot was to the top of his head, according to the complaint.

Irvin, now 17, pleaded in June 2023 to first-degree murder as a youthful offender. He was incarcerated at a juvenile facility, and his sentencing was delayed until he turns 18.

Gardner, now 19, charged with first-degree theft, conspiracy to commit a forcible felony and accessory after the fact, will plead and be sentenced on Jan. 23.

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