Family still searching for answers in Des Moines music festival shooting

DES MOINES, Iowa — Four months later, no arrests have been made in the October Biggz Big World music festival shooting that took the life of 46-year-old Michael Carter Jr. His death is being investigated as a homicide by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Carter leaves behind five children, including a baby who was just three months old at the time of his death. The last four months have been filled with so much pain for the Carter family as they await answers on who did it and why.

“It’s hard to wrap my mind around this when I don’t even know who or why this happened,” Michael’s daughter Montesha Carter told Local 5.

Since the Oct. 19 shooting at Union Labor Park the Carter family has been leaning on each other as they process their pain.

“We’ve been trying to do more things as a family,” Montesha said. “That’s been helpful.”

So far, detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office have interviewed a number of festival attendees.

“Some of the people that they’ve talked to may have been clear on the other side of the park and didn’t actually witness the actual incident itself, but they’re still following up on those leads,” Lt. Shane Grego said.

However, authorities are having a hard time getting more people to talk.

“Some of the witnesses are either scared to come forward or don’t think they have all the information that they need to come forward,” Grego said.

Montesha believes someone out there knows something and can help her family get closure.

“I just feel like there were so many people out there for us to not have answers about who and why is just mind-boggling to me,” she said.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 515-286-3333 or Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400 or 800-452-1111. 

Tips can also be submitted on the Crime Stoppers website. Those with information leading to an arrest could receive reward money.