Austin Reed, 46, has been charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder of a peace officer following a shooting in Stuart on Aug. 18. A woman was killed and an Iowa State Patrol trooper was injured in the incident.
The deceased woman was identified in court documents as Toni Elena-Ann Salazar. Documents state that around 3:34 p.m. on Aug. 18, multiple 911 calls were received about an active shooter at the 200 block of Southwest Sixth Street. A witness was standing near a gazebo in the area talking to Salazar when Reed came up behind them and shot her with a shotgun, the filing said.
Reed then reportedly pointed the gun at the witness and pulled the trigger, but the gun clicked and did not fire. The witness fled the area, court documents state. Salazar died at the scene.
Once officers arrived on scene, Reed fired at law enforcement and struck Iowa State Patrol Trooper Chase Carruthers. Reed was then taken into custody without further incident. Carruthers was taken to a Des Moines-area hospital and underwent emergency surgery, according to the documents.
Murder in the first degree is a Class A felony, which can carry a life sentence without possibility of parole. Attempted murder of a peace officer is a Class B felony and can constitute a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.
Neighbors shocked after Stuart, Iowa, shooting
Karli Venhaus, 20 said she heard five shots as she was returning home from the grocery store.
“It’s definitely a scary situation, knowing that we’re only a block away,” she told the Des Moines Register.
The shooting took place in a “very quiet neighborhood,” said Susan Hunter.
The 51-year-old lifelong resident of Stuart said she checked all of her doors after hearing the shots. As a second set of shots rang out, she ushered neighborhood kids who had been playing on a trampoline into her garage.
“It’s unexpected for our neighborhood,” she said.
There is no ongoing threat to the Stuart community, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Adam DeCamp told reporters on Aug. 18
The Iowa DCI and the Stuart Police Department are investigating the homicide and the shooting of the trooper.
Isabelle Foland is a communities reporter for the Register. Reach her at ifoland@registermedia.com.
Kyle Werner is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Register. Reach him at kwerner@registermedia.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Stuart man charged with murder, attempted murder of state trooper
Reporting by Isabelle Foland and Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Isabelle Foland and Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
