A 15-year-old boy was shot multiple times shortly before 10 pm on July 4 in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and first responders, despite their best efforts, were unable to save the teen's life.

Now authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the primary suspect in the shooting, Jamarrion James "J.J." Davis, 18, who is wanted on a first-degree murder charge, Des Moines NBC affiliate WHO13 reported.

Davis reportedly stands about 5'8" tall and weighs around 115 lbs., and police say that he should be considered to be "armed and dangerous."

Arrest warrant issued

Local affiliate KIMT reported that a 911 call was made around 9:44 pm on July 4 about a shooting incident and first responders, including Fort Dodge police and firefighters, quickly responded to the scene.

They immediately found the 15-year-old victim "in the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds." Unfortunately, the "lifesaving efforts" of the first responders were unsuccessful and the boy was "eventually pronounced dead at the scene."

According to local NBC affiliate KWWL, the 15-year-old victim who died Tuesday night has been identified as Jameel C. Redding-Pettigrew of Fort Dodge.

Per KIMT, an investigation of the fatal shooting was conducted that involved the Fort Dodge Police, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Webster County Attorney's Office, which ultimately determined that Davis, from the northern Des Moines suburb of Ankeny, was the likely suspect and issued the warrant for his arrest.

Ankeny teen wanted on murder charge in 15-year-old's shooting https://t.co/Ny6QNzoysP

— KCCI News (@KCCINews) July 6, 2023

Authorities have asked the public to immediately share any information about the whereabouts of Davis with police and have offered a $500 reward for information that leads to his arrest.

City leaders call on public to help address "uptick in criminal activity"

The Des Moines Register reported on the Tuesday murder, the arrest warrant for Davis, the fact that he is considered "armed and dangerous," and that a reward was offered to help locate and take the suspect into custody.

The newspaper further reported that city leaders used the grim incident as an opportunity to address via an open letter to the public an "uptick in criminal activity that, in several cases, appears to originate from a specific group of individuals."

Those city leaders are Mayor Matt Bemrich, City Manager David Fierke, and Fort Dodge Police Chief Dennis Quinn, and they wrote in the joint letter, "These individuals are choosing to engage in targeted violence directed toward one another," and noted, "This violence cannot and will not be tolerated in Fort Dodge and is made more concerning due to the involvement of some of our community's youth."

They went on to note that they would henceforth "proactively police Fort Dodge" with the assistance of other local and state law enforcement, and urged the general public to report any suspicious activities, keep their firearms safely stored, and to register and allow the use of any home or business surveillance cameras as part of what is called the Community Camera Project in the city.

"Let's work as a team and show those who choose to involve themselves in this senseless violence that we won't tolerate their behaviors," the city leaders added. "We are so much stronger when we work together as a community. Let's do that now."