An evening at Taboo Nightclub & Lounge in downtown Cedar Rapids turned deadly in the early morning hours of April 10, 2022. Inside the crowded venue, where about 100 to 150 people were gathered, a barrage of gunfire erupted. When the shooting stopped, two people were dead and ten others wounded. One of the victims was 25-year-old Black / African American male Michael Valentine.

Cedar Rapids police, who were outside the nightclub for a separate matter, saw a sudden rush of people fleeing and quickly investigated. Detectives determined the attack was targeted and believed there was more than one shooter; investigators said Valentine was the intended victim. The volley of bullets, estimated at one to two dozen shots, also killed 35-year-old Nicole Owens.

Readers who were at Taboo that night or who have information about Michael Valentine’s death are asked to come forward with what they know.