IOWA CITY – This adjudicated Iowa robber with a history of violence or intimidation allegedly used his illegal gun to pummel a victim in the occipital region of the skull, and then apparently fled the scene, but cops used their expert investigative techniques and the suspect made astonishing admissions.
Iowa City Police claim that around 1:29 PM on November 7, 2025, police responded to reports of a shooting near the 900 block of East College Street with reports indicating a person had been shot in the chest. Witnesses reported hearing shots fired and responding officers recovered evidence of gunfire. The subsequent investigation determined no persons were struck by gunfire and several persons of interest were developed.
Based on the investigation, Xzavier Herman (pictured at top), 22, of Iowa City, was arrested with assistance from the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Herman faces the following charges:
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm – Second Offense
- Going Armed with Intent
- Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon
- Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon
- Use of a Dangerous Weapon in the Commission of a Crime
- Reckless Use of a Firearm
According to a police report: “On the above date and time the defendant, Xzavier Herman, and the victim engaged into a verbal altercation near the above listed address. During the altercation, the defendant was in possession of a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun. During the altercation, the defendant hit the victim in the back of the head with the handgun, knocking him to the ground. After this contact, the defendant fired a bullet from the handgun, which lodged inside a neighboring apartment. The defendant admitted to possessing the firearm during the incident during an interview. During the interview the defendant admitted he armed himself with the handgun with the intent to commit an assault on the victim. Investigators later conducted a search warrant in Cedar Rapids, where a handgun was recovered, which the defendant admitted was in his possession and used in the shooting. The defendant is prohibited from possessing firearms as an adjudicated delinquent for Robbery 1st Degree and Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon. The defendant was also previously convicted as an adult for dominion/control of a firearm offensive weapon by a felon on 06/06/2022.”
The investigation into this incident is ongoing, police say.