Orintheo Campbell, a 23-year-old Black or African American man, was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Waterloo convenience store on the night of December 6, 2014. An argument that began inside the store spilled outside, became physical, and gunshots were fired; Campbell was struck by multiple bullets and later died at a hospital.

Police identified 25-year-old James Robert Ernst II of Cedar Rapids as a suspect and a warrant for first-degree murder was issued. He was arrested in Cedar Rapids in early January 2015 after a tip sent investigators there. At trial Ernst testified he acted in self-defense, saying Campbell had punched him and appeared to reach for a weapon; no weapon was found on Campbell. A Black Hawk County jury convicted Ernst of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.