Davenport man gets up to 15 years for fatal 2021 shooting

“We have to stop killing one another.”

Those were the words of the great-grandmother of a man who was fatally shot in her victim-impact statement Wednesday in Scott County Court.

DeMarco Gray, 29, of Davenport, was sentenced in Scott County Court on Wednesday to a total of no more than 15 years in prison for the shooting death of Jeremiah Martinez-Brown, 25, of East Moline.

At first, Gray pleaded not guilty in connection with the incident on Sept. 5, 2021. Originally, he faced charges of first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm, court records show. Later, he pleaded guilty to felony charges of voluntary manslaughter and felon in possession of a firearm.

“We have a serious, serious problem – specifically with Davenport – with gun crimes right now,” said prosecutor Austin Lenz, with the Scott County Attorney’s office, during the sentencing hearing.

Gray’s attorney, Alfredo Parrish, pointed out that Gray had no disciplinary problems in Scott County Jail, and that he earned his high-school equivalency diploma. “This young man can have a future,” he said. “DeMarco has admitted that his conduct was wrong. He has expressed his remorse.”

Gray read a statement to the courtroom, where his friends and family, along with friends and family of Martinez-Brown, were in attendance.

“I realize I made a mistake and that my actions caused harm,” he said, apologizing to Martinez-Brown’s family. Gray said he takes full responsibility for the other man’s death. “I’ll have to live with that burden for the rest of my days on this earth,” he said. “From the bottom of my heart, I apologize.”

Martinez-Brown’s grandmother cried while she made her victim-impact statement and looked directly at Gray.

“The day that DeMarco Gray took my grandson’s life, he caused me to be a statistic,” she said. “Nobody wants to be that statistic. There’s never closure to this. All I can have is acceptance.”

“We have to stop killing one another,” Martinez-Brown’s great-grandmother told
Gray. ”You can change your life. Jeremiah cannot. You need to be sentenced to the maximum you can get,” she said.

Jeremiah’s aunt also spoke. “Your family can still see you, can visit you,” she said to Gray. “We can’t. It hurts every day.”

After the victim-impact statements, Judge Joel Barrows sentenced Gray to serve no more than 10 years on the involuntary manslaughter charge, and no more than five years on the felon in possession of a firearm charge. The judge said the sentences will be served consecutively, or one after the other.

As Gray was led away, several people in the courtroom said “Love you” to him.

The incident in 2021

Shortly after 1 p.m. on Sept. 5, 2021, Davenport Police responded to the 2200 block of north Nevada Avenue after a report of gunfire. They found a man with life-threatening gunshot wounds, according to a news release from Davenport Police.

Jeremiah Martinez-Brown was transported to Genesis Medical Center, where he died from his injuries. “Initial investigation indicates this was not a random act of violence,” a news release said.

The shooting was near the intersection of Nevada Avenue and Lombard Street.