No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
No Result
View All Result
Reserve & National Guard
SUBSCRIBE FREE
Reserve & National Guard

Army National Guard soldier killed in Iowa church shooting

Shooter was a member of same unit, officials say

Kari Williams
by Kari Williams
June 3, 2022
shooting

An Army National Guard soldier was killed Thursday in a shooting at an Iowa church.

Spc. Eden M. Montag, who had been with the Iowa National Guard since August 2019, was one of two victims who died following the incident at Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa, according to a news release from the Iowa National Guard.

Montag, 22, was a mortuary affairs specialist with Detachment 1, Headquarters Support Company, 248th Aviation Support Battalion, in Boone, Iowa.

The shooter, Sgt. Johnathan L. Whitlatch, 33, was a member of the same Guard unit, according to the Story County Sheriff’s Office. Whitlatch, a human resources specialist, joined in September 2015. He was pronounced dead at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald.

Maj. Gen. Ben Corell, adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard, said in the release that the Guard is “devastated by this tragic news.” 

“Our hearts are with all who are impacted, including the victims’ families, Ames, Iowa State and Cornerstone Church communities, friends, and fellow service members. While working to support those affected, we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the investigation continues.”

Fitzgerald said during a news conference that the Story County 911 Center began receiving calls at 6:51 p.m. on Thursday regarding a “person with a gun in the parking lot,” and by 6:52 p.m. deputies had been dispatched. Officers arrived four minutes later.

The shooting was isolated to the church parking lot and no other injuries were reported.

Fitzgerald said the shooting was the result of a domestic situation between Montag and Whitlatch, who had recently been charged and arrested in connection to harassment and impersonation of a public official. He immediately posted bond, the sheriff said.

Whitlatch was scheduled to appear in court on June 10.

Neither Whitlatch nor Montag were on active duty at the time.

Vivian Renee Flores, 22, also was killed in the shooting.

Read comments
Tags: Amesfatal shootingIowaIowa National GuardShootingStory County
Kari Williams

Kari Williams

Kari Williams is an associate editor for AmeriForce Media. She has more than a decade of experience in the journalism industry across print, digital and social media platforms throughout the Midwest. She found a passion for covering veterans issues through her work as a writer and editor for VFW magazine. Kari has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mass communications from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. When she’s not writing about the military or working on freelance projects, she enjoys working out in her home gym, hanging out with her two rescue dogs and checking out live music and pro wrestling shows. She resides in Kansas City, Missouri, just a short drive from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Related Posts

Space National Guard advocates discuss current ‘orphan’ status

by AmeriForce Exclusive
3 days ago
0
Space National Guard

Leaders say space operations are “orphaned” & unsustainable, residing in the Air National Guard when a Space National Guard could...

Read more

Juneteenth: Meet the Black soldiers who delivered emancipation message

by Lucretia Cunningham
2 weeks ago
0
Juneteenth

Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, commander of the Military District of Texas, played a key role in what would become the...

Read more

Presumed sick? Burn pit legislation seeks to give vets benefit of doubt

by AmeriForce Exclusive
3 weeks ago
0
Burn pit

Bipartisan legislation to improve health care access for service members with burn-pit related illnesses is set for a vote this...

Read more

Units use unique recruiting events to entice enlistment

by Lucretia Cunningham
3 weeks ago
0
recruiting

Unique recruiting events immerse potential guardsmen with a unit, giving them a first-hand look at duties that individual soldiers perform.

Read more

Cyber Shield 2022 focuses on safeguarding DOD Information Network

by Kari Williams
3 weeks ago
0
Cyber Shield

National Guardsmen have converged to prepare for attacks against Department of Defense computer networks as part of Cyber Shield 2022.

Read more

Meet the guardsman helping Ukrainians blow up Russian tanks over the phone

by Military.com
3 weeks ago
0
Sgt. 1st Class Chris Freymann trained roughly 200 Ukrainian soldiers on the Javelin. Courtesy Chris Freymann

Sgt. 1st Class Chris Freymann became an ad hoc, over-the-phone tech support for Ukrainians trying to use Javelin missiles while under fire.

Read more

Ads

Let's get social

The RNG Drill

News delivered directly to your inbox

Let's connect!

ABOUT US

  • OUR STORY
  • OUR TEAM
  • OUR WRITERS

MAGAZINE

  • GET PRINT
  • GET DIGITAL

GET RESOURCES

  • VETERAN TRANSITION GUIDE
  • MILITARY EDUCATION GUIDE

ADVERTISE

  • GET OUR MEDIA KIT
  • PUBLISHER’S STATEMENT

SUBMISSIONS

  • PITCH US
  • SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Never miss out on the latest stories.

© 2021 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Privacy Policy | Terms | Site by Swiss Commerce

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

Thank you for your interest in The Reserve & National Guard Magazine!

No Result
View All Result
  • NEWS
  • YOUR CAREER
    • UNIT TRAINING
    • DEPLOYMENT
    • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
    • ENTREPRENEUR
  • EDUCATION
  • MILITARY LIFE
    • MILITARY SPOUSES
    • MILITARY KIDS
    • TRANSITION
  • HEALTH
  • MONEY
  • TRAVEL
  • GET THE MAGAZINE
    • PRINT MAGAZINES
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINES
    • GET THE NEWSLETTER
  • RESOURCES
    • VETERAN TRANSITION GUIDE
    • MILITARY EDUCATION GUIDE
  • ABOUT US
    • MEET OUR TEAM
    • OUR AUTHORS
    • ADVERTISE WITH US
    • SUBMIT YOUR STORY
    • PITCH US
    • CONTACT

© 2021 Reserve & National Guard by AmeriForce. Site by SCBW