Kim Reynolds condemns 'senseless' Ames shooting, says there's 'no one single answer' to gun violence

GRINNELL — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday condemned what she said was a "targeted attack" on Thursday where an armed man shot and killed two women, then himself, outside an Ames church.

"My heart grieves for the families and the two victims — just a senseless attack on two innocent people getting ready to go into their place of worship," she told reporters Friday before a campaign event in Grinnell.

The shooting in central Iowa comes as several mass shootings across the nation in recent weeks have roiled the country, including last week where an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

More: Deadly Ames church shooting followed 'domestic situation'

The Story County Sheriff's Office has said 33-year-old Johnathan Lee Whitlatch, of Boone, shot and killed 22-year-old Eden Mariah Montang and 21-year-old Vivian Renee Flores in the parking lot of Cornerstone Church in Ames Thursday evening. The two women were both students at Iowa State University who were at the church Thursday night for a worship service with The Salt Company, the church's university ministry.

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"At the beginning, we weren't sure what was happening, but it was a targeted attack," Reynolds told reporters. "It appears that possibly, again, mental health has played a role in that, and we're still learning more as they dig into some of the information. But it's heartbreaking."

Reynolds said Friday that the recent shootings are "horrific" and "pure evil" but that there isn't "one single answer" to slowing gun violence — echoing her response last week when asked whether she would consider new gun control laws in the wake of the Uvalde shooting.

"It's a lot of different things, I think, that have contributed to it," she said, pointing to "the breakdown of the family," isolation during COVID-19 and other mental health issues.

Reynolds said Friday she wants Iowa to work on improving mental health programs and work with schools, places of worship and other venues that host large crowds to put plans in place. She said the state is working this year on multiple efforts and could use federal COVID-19 relief funds for the programs.

"This needs to be addressed in a whole host of areas," she said.

She said during the campaign event Friday that she has reached out to the pastor of the church, and she encouraged Iowans to pray for the family.

Democrat Deidre DeJear, who is opposing Reynolds in the Iowa governor’s race, last week called for universal background checks and more investments into mental health care to combat gun violence.

On Thursday, she tweeted that her heart “is so heavy.”

“To the families of the students who are no longer with us, the members of Cornerstone and the Ames community; there may not be words that wipe away the pain and grief you feel, but know their lives WILL BE honored with action,” she wrote.

Correction: The name of alleged gunman Johnathan Lee Whitlatch was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.

Ian Richardson covers the Iowa Statehouse for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at irichardson@registermedia.com, at 515-284-8254, or on Twitter at @DMRIanR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ames church shooting is 'heartbreaking,' says Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds