Mason City man pleads in Cedar Falls gunfight that killed his friend | Crime and Courts | #College.

CEDAR FALLS — A Mason City man who lost his friend in a brief gun battle on College Hill in February has pleaded to charges in the shooting.

Under the agreement, Daniel Martez Judon IV, 24, was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison on a charge of intimidation with a weapon. As part of the arrangement, the state agreed to waive sentencing enhancements, said Black Hawk County Attorney Brian Williams.

Prosecutors said Judon appeared to be the least culpable in the Feb. 6 firefight, which killed his friend Arthur Craig Lang III, 19, of Clear Lake, and left a man on the other side, Darius Holt, with serious injuries.

Details of the shooting remain sketchy and authorities said it appeared Judon was returning fire, although that put others in the area in danger.

“The circumstances in this case could have been much, much worse than they were,” said Judge David Odekirk. “Any number of innocent bystanders could have been caught in crossfire, beyond those who were immediately involved. But for some grace of God in this case, no other innocents were killed or injured.”

Authorities said Judon and his acquaintances – all from the Mason City/Clear Lake area – were in a vehicle and had just met Holt and another man from the Quad Cities area who were on foot around 1:45 a.m. in the area of College and 22nd streets.

Within minutes an argument erupted. Then gunfire.

Judon, who was in the passenger seat, left the vehicle and apparently shot back.

Holt, who wasn’t shooting, collapsed from a gunshot wound to the chest, and the other pedestrian – who was firing a gun – fled.

Lang was also hit by gunfire. The SUV carrying Lang, Judon and Brandon Javon Mitchell drove for about a block and then stopped.

Police allege Mitchell then got out, returned to the shooting scene to fire more shots at Holt, who was on the ground. He then returned to the SUV, which made its way to MercyOne Cedar Falls Medical Center, where Lang was pronounced dead.

Holt suffered a partially severed spine, according to court records.

Mitchell was arrested for attempted murder, intimidation with a weapon and prohibited person in possession of a firearm. His attorneys have indicated they may argue self-defense, diminished capacity and intoxication at trial.

No one has been arrested for firing the shot that killed Lang, and the investigation is still ongoing.