AMES, IA – Two people died just before 7:00 pm Thursday in a shooting incident outside of Cornerstone Church in Ames, about 30 miles north of Des Moines.
According to police, the suspect, identified as 33-year-old Boone resident Johnathan Lee Whitlatch, confronted three women in the church parking lot on Thursday night. Whitlatch shot and killed two of the women, and the third was not injured. He then shot and killed himself.
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Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald said that one of the women shot had been in a relationship previously with Whitlatch. The deceased women were identified as 22-year-old Eden Mariah Montang, Whitlatch’s ex-girlfriend, and her friend, 21-year-old Vivian Renee Flores. Reportedly, both women were students at Iowa State University.
Sheriff Fitzgerald said that the event was a “targeted act of violence” and that Whitlatch did not even attempt to enter the church.
Cornerstone Church is a megachurch that was hosting a bible study group for young adults Thursday night. Witnesses say there were about 80 college and high school students in the auditorium for the study.
Police say that on May 31, Whitlatch had been charged with harassment as well as impersonating a public official. Those charges were “directly related” to one of Thursday’s shooting victims. Records show that Whitlatch was scheduled for a court hearing June 10 for the charges, with Montang as the victim.
According to police, Whitlatch was released on bond the same day he was arrested.
Whitlatch also has several domestic violence accusations against him, according to court records, which include violence and inappropriate actions, all with women victims.
According to USA Today, “One woman he previously dated and had a child with filed and received a domestic abuse protective order in 2017 after she said the suspect grabbed her by the throat and made a motion as if to punch her, but stopped before the blow landed. The woman wrote he threatened to come to her home and kill her.
“He was also charged in November after a woman accused him of groping her at a bar. He faced charges of intent to commit sexual assault, an aggravated misdemeanor after surveillance footage confirmed the incident, records show.”
A 9mm handgun was used in the shooting. Police found more 9mm ammo in Whitlatch’s truck when they searched it, and they also found a receipt of purchase for the ammunition which was timestamped just one hour prior to the shooting.
“He was there for a specific purpose, which he accomplished,” Sheriff Fitzgerald said.
Police also found an AR-15 in Whitlatch’s home.
Mark Vance is the Summer Company youth ministry held at Cornerstone Church. In a Thursday night statement, Vance said, “We are grieving deeply. Tonight, a tragic shooting occurred involving two young members of our Cornerstone Church community…Our Ministry staff are available to support all those impacted, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities as they complete their full investigation.”
Thursday night was the first night of a weekly summer bible study for young adults to be held at the church.
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