Judge hikes bail to $1 million in Carson River Road killing

A Carson City judge Friday increased bail to $1 million for a man charged in the Carson River Road killing of his friend.

Judge Steven McMorris raised Donald Lee Davis' bail on charges of felony involuntary manslaughter, gross misdemeanor discharging a firearm at another and being a felon in possession of a firearm, during his arraignment in Carson City Justice Court.

"I'm doing that because based of his record," McMorris said, noting Davis spent at least a year in jail on a stolen property charge and he was recently arrested on a domestic battery charge. "He poses a substantial danger to the community. I don't want him on the street."

McMorris also ordered that if Davis is able to post bail, he will be placed on house arrest and diligently watched.

"Besides being a danger to the public, he's an absolute flight risk," the judge said.

Davis, 21, was arrested about 9 a.m. Thursday after leading police on an eight-hour manhunt following the 1 a.m. shooting death of Zack Warren, 18, of Dayton.

According to the arrest report, Davis and Warren were guests of Jacob Jerrard's at 4900 Carson River Road when Davis allegedly began to "play around," with a pistol he had in his waistband.

"He kept dropping the magazine out of the gun and putting it back in the gun," wrote Detective Bob Motamenpour. "At one point Jacob saw Donald pull the slide back, and (he) saw a single, brass-jacketed round pop out of the ejection port. Jacob had pleaded to Donald not to play around with the gun."

The report said Jerrard told investigators he had heard the gun "dry fire" several times throughout the evening, indicating Davis allegedly pulled the trigger on numerous occasions prior to the shooting.

Motamenpour said while Jerrard had his back to the men he heard the gun fire. Jerrard said he turned around to see Warren bleeding.

While he was on the phone to 911, Davis allegedly ran from the home tossing the weapon in the field some 200 feet from the house. He was apprehended hours later in a lumber yard.

Motamenpour said he believes other people were at the house prior to the shooting. He received information that at least two others left the home because they were allegedly concerned about Davis playing with the gun.

"People were in and out of that house earlier in the day. Those people need to contact me," he said.

Motamenpour can be reached at 887-2020 ext. 1410.

• Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.