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SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man accused of brutally attacking a woman a year ago has now been connected to a shooting that happened about a month prior to the assault.
Dontel Nako Cowans, 23, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with three counts of discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony.
Just after 11 p.m. on March 17, 2022, police responded to the area of 150 W. Paxton Ave. on a report of shots fired. One resident found a bullet hole in his wall and later "found multiple holes in one of the large garage doors and a hole in the main door for the garage," according to charging documents. The resident said he could feel pieces of sheet rock fall on him.
Police checked the area for additional evidence and found a bullet in the driveway of another residence and one inside of the garage. Officers were later called back to the area after "another bullet had been located inside of the residence … sitting on the shelf next to the front door," according to the charges.
Cowans was arrested about two hours after the shooting and two blocks away for investigation of DUI. Police reported finding a gun and spent shell casings in his car. Those items were sent off for forensic testing and later determined to be a match to the bullets found in the homes, the charges state.
When detectives went back and questioned Cowans, he claimed that he was "bored" and admitted to shooting 12 rounds from his handgun that evening, stating that he was "just being stupid and young" and that he "meant to shoot at the air," the charging documents say.
Cowans is also facing charges of attempted murder and aggravated sexual assault, first-degree felonies, and two counts of mayhem and obstructing justice, second-degree felonies, in another case filed last year.
About a month after the shooting incident, on April 21, 2022, police were called to the area of 280 E. Hampton Ave. on a report of a woman who was found lying naked in an alley and "thought to be dead." The 48-year-old woman was found unconscious with numerous stab wounds.
In January, Cowans was determined to be competent to stand trial in that case. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 31.
While Cowans was in custody for the attempted murder charge, investigators linked him to another incident in August of 2019 in which he allegedly exposed himself to a woman and inappropriately touched her. In February, Cowans was charged with forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony, in 3rd District Court in connection with that case.
