Timothy Ladell Rush, an Iowa man who fired a 9-millimeter handgun into a crowd during the April 10, 2022 mass shooting at the Taboo Nightclub and Lounge in Cedar Rapids, was sentenced in May 2023 to a prison term not to exceed 30 years after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and nine other felonies. Three people died and nine others were injured in what became the largest mass shooting in Cedar Rapids history.1Des Moines Register. Iowa Man Timothy Rush Sentenced to Prison for Taboo Nightclub Shooting in Cedar Rapids
What Happened Inside the Club
The shooting began around 1:30 a.m. during a 1990s-themed event at the downtown club. Cedar Rapids officers were already stationed outside because of an earlier incident when gunfire broke out inside, sending 100 to 150 people running for the exits.2KCRG. Police Believe More Than One Suspect in Large Taboo Nightclub Mass Shooting
Two men fired that night. Dimione Walker shot 25-year-old Michael Valentine multiple times at close range, killing him. According to the criminal complaint, Rush, then 32, drew a 9-millimeter handgun and began shooting after Walker’s initial shots. Investigators said Rush “fired intentionally and indiscriminately” into the packed venue, and surveillance video from inside the club captured him doing so.3KCRG. Timothy Rush Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Taboo Nightclub Shooting
Nicole Owens, 35, was killed at the scene. Marvin Cox, 31 and a father of five, was shot in the head and died about two months later.4KCCI. Victims’ Families Speak During Taboo Nightclub Shooter’s Sentencing Nine others were injured, some critically. Rush was arrested the day after the shooting.5CBS2 Iowa. Arrest Made in Taboo Nightclub Shooting
Charges and Plea Deal
Rush was originally charged with second-degree murder, willful injury causing serious injury, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, reckless use of a firearm causing serious injury, and possession of a firearm as a felon. The felon-in-possession count indicated prior felony convictions, though those earlier offenses were not detailed in reporting.6Des Moines Register. Man Pleads Guilty in Cedar Rapids Taboo Nightclub Shooting
In March 2023, Rush accepted a plea agreement that reduced the two second-degree murder counts to two counts of involuntary manslaughter.7KCRG. Timothy Rush Accepts Plea Agreement in Taboo Nightclub Shooting In his written plea, he admitted he “shot a firearm in the direction of a crowd of people” inside the nightclub.1Des Moines Register. Iowa Man Timothy Rush Sentenced to Prison for Taboo Nightclub Shooting in Cedar Rapids He pleaded guilty to ten felony counts in all:
- Two counts of involuntary manslaughter
- One count of intimidation with a dangerous weapon
- Two counts of reckless use of a firearm
- Three counts of reckless use of a firearm causing injury
- One count of being a felon in possession of a firearm
The 30-Year Sentence
On May 22, 2023, Judge Sean McPartland accepted the guilty pleas and sentenced Rush to a prison term not to exceed 30 years, with credit for time served. The sentence carries no mandatory minimum. Court documents indicate it can be reduced by up to 50 percent through earned time, work credits, and program credits, and Rush is eligible for parole.1Des Moines Register. Iowa Man Timothy Rush Sentenced to Prison for Taboo Nightclub Shooting in Cedar Rapids
He was also ordered to pay $150,000 each to the families of Nicole Owens and Marvin Cox, along with $74,300 to the Iowa crime victim assistance program.8CBS2 Iowa. Families of Taboo Nightclub Shooting Victims Confront Shooter in Court
In court, Rush apologized to the families and said he had “failed as a man,” while maintaining he never intended to kill anyone and claiming he had acted in self-defense.9KWWL. Timothy Rush Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Role in Taboo Nightclub Shooting
The Other Shooter
Dimione Walker, whose gunfire preceded Rush’s, went to trial separately. A jury found him guilty of first-degree murder on November 17, 2022, in the killing of Michael Valentine, and he was sentenced on December 16, 2022, to life in prison without the possibility of parole.10KCRG. Dimione Walker Found Guilty in Taboo Nightclub Shooting Walker’s defense had argued self-defense, citing a 2016 shooting he said Valentine had committed against him; prosecutors said Valentine was unarmed that night.
Families’ Reaction and the Plea Controversy
The sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse drew forceful statements from the victims’ relatives, many of them angry that the plea deal did not go further. Marie Mulkey, Marvin Cox’s mother, told the court that 30 years felt like “a slap on the wrist” and said life in prison would have been justice. Justine Grant, the mother of one of Cox’s children, said their six-year-old daughter had been traumatized, was struggling with anxiety and school, and had told her she wanted to die to be with her father.4KCCI. Victims’ Families Speak During Taboo Nightclub Shooter’s Sentencing
Stacia Winters, Nicole Owens’ sister, alleged that Rush was a jealous ex-boyfriend who had previously threatened to kill men interested in Owens, and argued the killing of Cox alongside her sister was no coincidence. Eugene Winters III, Owens’ brother, called Rush’s apology “fake” and “pathetic.” Nicole Winters, Owens’ stepmother, said the family learned of the plea “in the streets” rather than from authorities and said she felt “the system failed Nicole.”8CBS2 Iowa. Families of Taboo Nightclub Shooting Victims Confront Shooter in Court
Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks defended the agreement publicly, pointing to the surveillance footage of Rush firing indiscriminately into the crowd and saying the deal reflected what the evidence could support. He used the case to call for a new “reckless homicide” statute in Iowa: a Class B felony carrying a 25-year sentence when a prosecutor can prove a death was caused by reckless conduct, with mandatory minimums when aggravating factors such as the use of a weapon are present.11KCRG. Linn County Attorney Explains Reasoning Behind Plea Deal in Taboo Shooting Maybanks also disputed the families’ allegations that racial bias influenced the handling of the case.
Civil Lawsuits
Two civil suits followed in early 2024, naming Rush and the now-closed Taboo Nightclub and Lounge. Three mothers representing Marvin Cox’s five children sued for negligence, wrongful death, and negligent security, seeking damages for the value of Cox’s estate, medical and burial expenses, and other losses.12KCRG. Victims File Lawsuits Against Taboo Nightclub and Shooter Richard Nicksion, a survivor injured in the shooting, filed a separate suit alleging negligence and battery against Rush and negligent security against the club, and seeking compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The claims against the nightclub also included dram shop liability and allegations of negligent supervision and training.13CBS2 Iowa. Dual Lawsuits Target Taboo Nightclub and Shooter From Worst Cedar Rapids Mass Shooting As of January 2024, both lawsuits were active, with no reported settlements or rulings.