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Authorities Have Released More Information About A Shooting In Ames Last Night

Authorities have released additional details of Thursday night’s shooting outside an Ames church. The Story County Sheriff’s Office and many surrounding law enforcement agencies responded to the shooting at approximately 6:52 p.m. An Ames Police Commander who was attending a meeting at the church heard the gunfire and responded to the parking lot at roughly the same time as the arriving deputies. Authorities say the shooting resulted from a domestic situation between the shooter and one of the two female victims. The women were located at the scene with apparent gunshot wounds and were identified as 22-year-old Eden Mariah Montang and 21-year-old Vivian Renee Flores, both students at Iowa State University. The shooter was identified as 33-year-old Johnathan Lee Whitlatch of Boone. Law enforcement says Whitlatch pointed a 9mm at Montang and fired several rounds, fatally injuring both women. At approximately 6:59 p.m., a deputy on the scene confirmed Whitlatch had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Lifesaving measures were attempted on all three individuals but were unsuccessful. Earlier this week, Whitlatch was charged by the Ames Police for third-degree harassment and impersonating a public official. Those charges were directly related to Montang. Thirteen law enforcement agencies responded to the shooting last night. The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation.