Iowa City man sentenced to five years in prison after bringing gun into Grant Wood Elementary

An Iowa City father who brought a gun into Grant Wood Elementary last year has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Brandon Jones, 32, pleaded guilty in February to one count of carrying a firearm on school grounds, a Class D felony, and two counts of first-degree harassment, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Jones was arrested in November after he entered the office of Grant Wood Elementary looking to confront the principal. Jones was upset because the principal sent his son home from school, according to the initial criminal complaint.

Jones allegedly threatened to assault the principal multiple times. He also threatened school staff members who tried to intervene.

Jones eventually removed a pistol and its holster from his hip, criminal reports say, and handed both to his significant other, who had entered the school with him. Jones allegedly told his partner, "Hold this so I don't do something stupid with it."

The woman then exited the building with the weapon.

Jones allegedly entered the school halls in search of the principal, despite the staff's efforts to contain him. He threatened to beat the principal, the county attorney's office said in a release. Jones eventually left the school after faculty told him they were calling the police.

When Iowa City police showed up, Jones admitted to knowing it was illegal to possess firearms on school grounds, according to the complaint. He told authorities that he didn't remember threatening the principal and staff, admitting he "may have in the heat of the moment."

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County attorney praises harm prevention

The county attorney's office release included a statement from Johnson County attorney Rachel Zimmermann-Smith about gun violence:

"This crime is yet another example of the ongoing danger of guns in schools," Zimmermann-Smith's statement read. "I am grateful that the staff of Grant Wood Elementary were able to prevent further violence and applaud their resilience. I am also grateful for the prompt and professional response by the Iowa City Police Department who took the defendant into custody without incident."

A Grant Wood staff member also wrote a victim statement that was read at the sentencing hearing, which was included in the county's release.

"We are grateful no lasting tragedy has come to pass, but the lack of tragedy is not due to Mr. Jones’s discretion, but due to everyone who attempted to stop him," the employee wrote. "Mr. Jones made so many, so very many choices, and he has more than earned his right to continue to sit with the consequences for a long time because it is only him and his actions that claim the fault.”

The county attorney's office originally asked that Jones' sentences run consecutively.

The judge ruled that they should run concurrently.

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Community outrage over five-year sentence

The Prairielands Freedom Fund, an eastern Iowa bond project, posted on social media in the wake of the sentencing, saying on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the case "starts and ends with racism."

In a statement, Prairielands said the five-year sentence is "emblematic of the cruel, racist punishments inflicted upon Black folks in our carceral system."

The statement accused prosecutors of going after Jones as a matter of public safety but said that they "targeted" a father who "showed up at Grant Wood to advocate for his family after a suspension that left his child alone, walking home in the cold."

"Separating Brandon from his family inflicts layers of violence upon Brandon, his children, his family and everyone who is part of his community — making us all less safe," the fund wrote in a statement. "We reject the idea that this is what public safety means in our community."

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City man sentenced to five years for bringing gun into Grant Wood