STORY COUNTY SHERIFF PAUL FITZGERALD SAYS THE MURDER AND SUICIDE OUTSIDE AN AMES CHURCH THURSDAY WAS A TARGETED DOMESTIC SITUATION.
SHERIFF FITZGERALD SAYS 33-YEAR-OLD JOHNATHAN LEE WITLATCH OF BOONE SHOT AND KILLED 22-YEAR-OLD EDEN MONTAG AND 21-YEAR-OLD VIVIAN FLORES OUTSIDE THE CORNERSTONE CHURCH WITH A NINE-MILLIMETER HANDGUN.
HE SAYS A THIRD WOMAN ESCAPED AND THEN WHITLACH SHOT HIMSELF.
THE TWO WOMEN WERE IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, ON THEIR WAY TO A BIBLE STUDY.
FITZGERALD SAYS WHITLACH AND MONTAG HAD RECENTLY BROKEN UP A RELATIONSHIP.
AMES1 OC…….JUNE 10TH” :25
FITZGERALD SAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF WHITLACH FOLLOWED THEM TO THE CHURCH.
AMES2 OC…….CHAOS BEGAN” :11
FITZGERALD SAYS WHITLACH WAS FOCUSED ON MONTAG AND DIDN’T HAVE ANY INTENTION OF SHOOTING OTHERS IN THE CHURCH.
HE SAYS THEY WILL DIG DEEPER INTO WHAT MAY’VE LED TO THE SHOOTING.
AMES3 OC…….AND WHY” :20
FITZGERALD SAYS DEPUTIES ARRIVED FOUR MINUTES AFTER THE 9-11 CALLS ABOUT THE SHOOTING AND EVERYTHING WAS ALREADY OVER.
HE SAYS THERE WERE SOME 80 PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH AT THE TIME, AND IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE HAD WHITLACH ENTERED THE CHURCH.
HUNDREDS GATHERED THIS (FRIDAY) MORNING FOR A PRAYER SERVICE AT THE CORNERSTONE CHURCH IN AMES WHERE THE TWO WOMEN WERE SHOT AND KILLED. THURSDAY NIGHT.
TERRY MONTANG TOLD THE CONGREGATION HIS DAUGHTER, EDEN, WAS A PERSON OF FAITH.
AMES4 OC…….HER FATHER.” :06
THE CHURCH’S LEAD PASTOR SAYS THE SHOOTING HAPPENED JUST AS A SUMMER PROGRAM FOR IOWA STATE STUDENTS WAS TO BEGIN INSIDE THE CHURCH.
EDEN MONTANG AND VIVIAN FLORES WERE I-S-U STUDENTS AND THE PASTOR SAYS BOTH HAD BEEN ACTIVE IN THE CHURCH’S YOUTH MINISTRY.
