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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.

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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 Maryville, Illinois, just a short drive from Scott Air Force Base.

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