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Teen Wanted In Fatal Fox River Mall Shooting Caught In Iowa

Dezman Ellis Charged With First-Degree Intentional Homicide, First-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety

Police tape at a nighttime crime scene
Tony Webster

A teen wanted in connection with the fatal shooting at the Fox River Mall has been arrested in Iowa.

The Grand Chute Police Department announced U.S. Marshals arrested 17-year-old Dezman Ellis at around 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa.

Authorities say Ellis fatally shot 19-year-old Jovanni Frausto, of Neenah, and wounded another person Sunday inside the mall outside Appleton. As of Friday morning, nearly 500 people had donated to a GoFundMe to help Frausto’s mother pay for his burial.

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Outagamie County prosecutors say the shooting took place in the food court after the two began arguing over a girl who was with Ellis. Since Sunday, police have maintained the shooting was targeted.

The shooting forced crowds of people to shelter in place inside the mall.

Outagamie County prosecutors filed charges of first-degree intentional homicide and first-degree recklessly endangering safety against Ellis on Tuesday.

Police named Ellis as a person of interest Sunday. On Monday, authorities found the Dodge Avenger they believed Ellis to be traveling in located in the driveway of a home in Oshkosh. When officers attempted to speak to people inside the home, four of them became “physically combative,” according to police, and were arrested.

Also Monday, U.S. Marshals were brought in to assist in locating and arresting Ellis, who was believed to have left the state, according to a news release from the Grand Chute Police Department.