Two women were shot dead at Cornerstone Church, a megachurch in Ames, Iowa, on Thursday in what appears to have been a targeted attack by the ex-boyfriend of one of the women, the Story County Sheriff’s Office has revealed.
Eden Montang was one of the victims. She had just broken up with Jonathan Lee Whitlatch, 32, who is alleged to be the gunman. Vivian Flores was the other victim. Whitlatch was taken into custody on Tuesday, accused of harassing and pretending to be a public official during an incident also involving Montang. According to Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald Whitlatch will appear in court next week.
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It took place in the Megachurch’s parking lot at 7pm. According to reports, Montang, Flores, and another friend had been entering the megachurch when Whitlatch pulled up a 9mm pistol and shot his ex-girlfriend. The police say that he shot himself.
According to the Facebook page of this massive church, they were hosting a Salt Company Kickoff event aimed at college-age worshipers. “We feel deeply bereaved,” Mark Vance of the Salt Company youth ministry said in a statement released on Thursday night. A prayer service was held by the church for the victims Friday morning.
Just minutes after US President Joe Biden’s latest speech calling for stricter gun control laws, the incident occurred. The incident is one of several shootings in the US that have been widely reported over the last week.
