Police identify victim in West Burlington pool shooting and continue to search for suspect

WEST BURLINGTON — What began as an afternoon of summertime fun for families and individuals at the West Burlington Swimming Pool ended abruptly Tuesday when a man was shot in the pool parking lot.

The shooting occurred at about 4:45 p.m. outside the pool's south-facing chainlink fence.

According to West Burlington Police Chief Jesse Logan, the victim, 28-year-old Devontae Richardson, was taken by ambulance to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington before being transported to Iowa City for treatment of his injury. The bullet struck his face and neck. Logan said he is in stable condition.

Logan said the suspect vehicle, a blue minivan, has been recovered and a shell casing was found inside.

Police have a suspect in mind but declined to release his identity at this time. Logan said the suspect is a Black male in his early 30s with a slim to medium build. Police do not believe he is still in the area.

More: 'I was standing right behind him': Man shot in neck outside West Burlington pool

The suspect is alleged to have fired a single shot using a small-caliber handgun before leaving the parking lot and heading south.

The West Burlington and Burlington police departments and Des Moines County Sheriff's Office are investigating the incident. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting with the investigation.

According to Logan, investigators believe Richardson and the shooter knew each other and do not believe there is any threat to the general public.

West Burlington Swimming Pool community shaken by shooting

A pair of sandals, a towel, an article of clothing and what appeared to be a pool of blood were left behind in the parking lot near one of the vehicles that remained there after the pool, typically open until 6:30 p.m., closed early.

Bethany Nannen, general manager of the pool, said the pool would be closed Wednesday. Audibly shaken, she said she could not comment further on the incident. The West Burlington City Council was notified during its meeting Wednesday that the pool will not reopen until Friday.

The pool, located at 602 West Burlington Ave., lies in a heavily residential area in a city with a population of less than 3,000. It is bordered to the east by Community Park, where children's softball games were scheduled to take place Tuesday evening but were canceled in response to the shooting.

In 2008, the pool saw the addition of four water slides and other attractions, including a floating obstacle course, making it a favorite spot to cool off for families with children. It has seen heavy use this summer amid high temperatures and as Burlington’s Dankwardt Park Pool remains closed until its liner can be replaced.

The West Burlington pool had recently adopted a policy banning Orbeez guns, which shoot water-filled balls or pellets, and anyone who brought them onto the property.

Logan said his department has responded to the pool previously for Orbeez-related incidents, but not for a real gun in recent memory.

Logan said the shooting is chilling, especially given that it's the beginning of summer, a time when families and children are trying to beat the heat and have fun at the pool.

A Burlington man who has requested to remain anonymous said he was standing behind the victim when the shot rang out.

"I was standing right behind him,” he told The Hawk Eye. “It's kind of scary, because if the shooter would've missed, I would've gotten hit. I was standing right behind him.”

He said the shooting sounded more like a traffic accident than a gunshot, drawing pool goers to the fence.

“It was a loud bang, like you would naturally think that someone just got in a car accident,” he said. “Everybody just started flying toward the fence to see what was going on.”

That witness and a friend, also of Burlington, provided aid to the victim, applying a towel to his wound in an effort to slow the bleeding, until police and EMS arrived at the scene.

"We were able to stop enough of the bleeding that they were able to get him to actually respond," he said.

Wendi Riggens had taken her daughter and a friend to the pool that day and was on the far side of the pool when the shooting occurred. She said she didn't know what had happened until a few minutes later after being told to exit the pool. By the time she learned of the shooting, police had arrived and were asking people to leave.

In a Facebook post, she praised the teenage lifeguards for their response.

"I post to commend the lifeguards, who are teenagers, just kids themselves, for keeping their calm, quickly emptying the pool, and for calmly managing the confused and scared crowd, even dealing with the rude/angry people that didn’t know what was going on and just wanted a refund," Riggens wrote. "Also, the supervisor of the pool went into immediate response mode, giving instructions to keep everyone there safe, and running to help the victim. ... As scary as the entire situation was, the response of the lifeguards and staff and emergency personnel was exemplary. I hope the victim is ok, and I hope these kids are, too. That is so much weight for such young shoulders to bear."

Counselor available to talk to children, parents and individuals

Aaron Wagner, a counselor at West Burlington Elementary School, was available until 4 p.m. Wednesday for those needing to talk to someone about the shooting. He also will be available from 8 a.m. to noon today.

Beyond that, students and/or parents wanting to talk about the shooting can reach him via email at aaron.wagner@wbschools.us or leave a voice mail at (319) 752-8747, ext. 2.

As of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Wagner said he had spoken with six students in person, as well as with six parents over the phone.

"I want kids to know that talking with a trusted adult is ok and for parents to know that they need to listen to their children with empathy and maintain that they are safe," Wagner said.

Parents and children are welcome to visit and speak with him regardless of what school district they are connected to.

He said he also has reached out and spoken to a handful of West Burlington families who were reported to have been at the pool. Of the people he has spoken to, some were present during the shooting and some were not.

During those conversations, Wagner said, individuals have expressed fear and concerns about whether it is safe to return to the pool. He said he has been trying to reassure people that it likely wasn't the location that drew the shooter.

Logan said the shooting is believed to have been targeted at the victim. But the fact that it happened in such a public and family-oriented location has been unnerving for many.

"I'm a parent, too, and you can burn yourself out thinking about all the bad things that can happen to your kids," he said.

He added that the key is to understand that incidents like Tuesday's shooting are not common and that being aware of that fact is key to overcoming the fears and anxieties that arise when tragedies happen.

Savannah Prescott, community relations coordinator for the Burlington School District, said any Burlington School District parents or students wanting counseling through their home district may call the administration office at (319) 753-6791 to arrange an appointment.

This report will be updated as information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: West Burlington pool shooting victim identified, suspect at large