A week after an 18-year-old man was fatally shot at a crowded house party in north Lincoln, police have arrested another teenager on suspicion of his alleged murder, according to authorities.
Police on Thursday arrested a 17-year-old Lincoln boy in Michigan accused of fatally shooting Damien Brave, who died at a Lincoln hospital in the early morning hours of April 1 after he was shot multiple times at a party near 27th and Fair streets the night before, according to police and court filings.
Kashuan M. McCree was taken into custody Thursday afternoon in Detroit for his alleged role in Brave's death, Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins said at a news conference Friday morning.
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Prosecutors have charged McCree with first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, according to an amended complaint filed Thursday. He was initially charged with attempted robbery, but prosecutors enhanced the charge before the teen was arrested, Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon said.
Judge Laurie Yardley signed a warrant for McCree's arrest Thursday but sealed the affidavit in support of that warrant — the public document that describes what gives police probable cause to arrest a defendant — along with three other court documents filed by prosecutors.
At Friday's news conference, Ewins said little about what is thought to have led up to last week's shooting, but said McCree and Brave "had an interaction over a bag" that Brave brought to the house party.
"That is when McCree fired multiple rounds from a handgun, hitting Brave several times," the police chief said.
The 18-year-old was taken by private car to a local hospital after he was shot at around 11:30 p.m. March 31. He was pronounced dead at around 2:30 a.m. April 1, his mother said.
Ewins said investigators had recovered the bag that apparently ignited the feud between Brave and McCree, but she declined to say what was inside.
The police chief also stopped short of calling the shooting a robbery gone wrong, but in court filings, prosecutors said Brave's alleged murder was carried in out in an "attempt to perpetrate (a) robbery."
Police don't believe Brave and McCree knew each other prior to last week's shooting, Ewins said. And, she said, Brave wasn't armed when he was shot.
Authorities haven't found the handgun thought to have been used in the shooting, the police chief said.
Though Ewins said Monday that police had identified several "people of interest," they are not seeking additional suspects in Brave's death, Ewins said.
McCree is a Lincoln resident but has family in both Nebraska and Michigan, Ewins said, highlighting the lengths Lincoln Police investigators went to to apprehend the 17-year-old.
"It is important our community knows our department will track down suspects wherever an investigation leads, using all available resources to bring those responsible to justice," Ewins said, before thanking law enforcement partners in Michigan for their help in arresting McCree.
The police chief declined to detail what led investigators to Michigan, attributing their trek there to "good investigative skills by our people that acted on tips as well as information they received."
Police have only said Brave was shot multiple times, but his girlfriend and his mother each said he was shot four times — once in the stomach and three times in his legs.
His mom, Heidi Brave, said he was admitted to the hospital by 11:50 p.m., was unresponsive by 1:12 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 2:27 a.m. Saturday, leaving behind a grieving family that includes four sisters and his parents.
Brave is the city's fifth homicide victim of 2023 and the second 18-year-old to die in an act of alleged gun violence in Lincoln this year.
"He didn't get a chance to live his life," his mother said.
It's unclear when McCree, who remains in custody in Detroit, might be extradited to Nebraska for criminal proceedings. Ewins indicated he would have to go through Michigan's state-specific extrication process before he can be moved to Lincoln.
When the 17-year-old does appear at the Lancaster County courthouse, he will face charges in adult court, where he would face life in prison if convicted of Brave's murder.
Remembering Lincoln's homicide victims of 2023
1. Julian A. Martinez
Police found 18-year-old Julian Martinez with one gunshot wound to his chest near 19th Street and Euclid Avenue on Jan. 21 after an argument over with a neighbor over their pet dogs devolved into a fatal shooting, according to authorities.
Prosecutors charged Martinez’s neighbor, 29-year-old Armon Rejai, with first-degree murder in the teen’s death.
, Martinez’s family said he cherished his sisters and nephews, who he loved to play video games and roughhouse with. He shared his life and love with his girlfriend and his best friend, along with numerous cousins and relatives, his family said.
2. Rudy Requejo Jr.
Rudy Requejo Jr., who was 22 months old, died at an Omaha hospital March 17 after weeks of suspected abuse and neglect, police investigators alleged in court filings.
Prosecutors charged the boy’s mother, 30-year-old Brittany Cook, and her boyfriend, 32-year-old Joshua Tackett, with child abuse resulting in the child’s death.
His family remembered Requejo Jr.’s infectious joy that, at times, brought previously feuding family members together.
“Junior had a smile that was like gravity,” his aunt said.
3. Ronald Gonzalez Rivas
Ronald E. Gonzalez-Rivas, 45, was one of two maintenance employees at The Lodge Apartments who were run over and killed at the south Lincoln complex on March 27.
A resident of the apartment complex, 27-year-old Taylor Bradley, was charged with six felonies for her alleged role in the brazen attack, including a first-degree murder charge in Gonzalez-Rivas’ death, according to court records.
In , his wife of 11 years, Georgina Molina, said she was deeply saddened by his death and asked for prayers for their family. Gonzalez-Rivas left behind two children, ages 19 and 26.
4. Christopher Karmazin
A longtime maintenance employee at The Lodge Apartments in south Lincoln, Christopher J. Karmazin was one of two men killed there March 27 when he and a colleague were run over and killed by a 27-year-old resident, police alleged.
Prosecutors charged Taylor Bradley with six felonies for her alleged role in the hit-and-run attack. She was charged with first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony in Karmazin’s death.
, family said the Lincoln man left behind three children and a loving wife.
"Chris loved spending time with his friends playing board games and was an avid animal lover," a relative, Garrett Karmazin, said in a post pinned to the fundraiser. “He enjoyed spending time outdoors and working with his hands. His greatest joy was being a father."
5. Damien Brave
Damien I. Brave, an 18-year-old Lincoln man, died in the early morning hours of April 1 after he was shot four times at a house party the night before near 27th and Fair streets.
Police in Michigan later arrested 17-year-old Kashuan M. McCree for his alleged role in Brave's death, thought to have been the result of a robbery gone wrong. Prosecutors charged McCree, who police say fled to Detroit after the shooting, with first-degree murder.
Brave's close friend and family, who , remembered him as a goofy, fun-loving kid whose beaming smile demanded that others join in.
"If you felt like crap or you felt down, and you got one of his hugs, you just felt like you were safe," his mother, Heidi Brave, said. "I'm the mom. I should have made him feel safe. But the way he just hugged you, it just made you feel like you were something special."
6. Mark Kruger
Mark Kruger, 59, died May 7 after he was stabbed amid an argument at a family gathering that evening near 63rd Street and Baldwin Avenue.
Police arrested Kruger's son, Joseph Kruger, at the scene. The 40-year-old was later charged with first-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony for his alleged role in his dad's death.
In , Mark Kruger's family described the Lincoln man as a loving father, grandfather, brother and uncle who loved music, concert-going and riding his Harley.
"... He loved to make the world smile," Kruger's family wrote. "He loved camping, fishing and going out on the boat. Mark always, always gave compliments and encouragement to all and he would give the shirt off his back for anyone."
The family also to help pay for his funeral.
7. Zachary Svoboda
Lincoln Police found Zachary Svoboda dead at his home near the North 50th and Greenwood streets on Aug. 23, 2023.
An autopsy determined the cause of death to be intoxication from a combination of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Investigators have identified physical and digital evidence, along with witness statements, that show Svoboda's death was intentional.
Police have alleged Amanda Wright devised and carried out a plan to kill Svoboda.
She is currently being held at the Lancaster County jail.
8. James Baylor
James Baylor, who often went by Jim or Jimbo but whose legal first name was Robert, died at a Lincoln hospital Sept. 5, nine days after he suffered a head injury in an apparently random assault near 13th and P streets Aug. 27.
Police of Lincoln on suspicion of first-degree assault in the hours after the attack. Prosecutors later enhanced the charges filed against Rodriguez Alvis, charging him with manslaughter following Baylor's death.
Baylor's friends and family remembered the 55-year-old as "a dear, kind, tender soul that touched a lot of lives."
"He was always interested in other people and what they were doing and always enthusiastic about them," said his brother, John Baylor. "And it was completely authentic."
9. Larry Cole
Larry Cole, 76, was found in his residence on the 1100 block of New Hampshire Street on Dec. 19. Officers went to the home on a welfare check, which was called in by one of Cole's family members.
Police received no answer when they knocked and smelled natural gas, which led them to call Lincoln Fire and Rescue who turned off the gas.
When the air cleared, police went in and found Cole dead inside, as well as another man.
Cole's death later was ruled a homicide.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley
Andrew Wegley
State government reporter
