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

WEST BURLINGTON — Multiple law enforcement agencies are investigating a shooting that occurred at about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of the West Burlington Swimming Pool.

One gunshot victim was taken to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, according to West Burlington police Sgt. Eldon Melssen.

According to West Burlington Police Chief Jesse Logan, the victim, a man believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s, was subsequently taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

No additional information on the victim is available at this time, Melssen said.

Logan said the suspect is believed to be driving a blue minivan, identified by witnesses as either a Chrysler or a Dodge Caravan.

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 was closed in response to the shooting.

The West Burlington and Burlington police departments and Des Moines County Sheriff's Office are investigating the incident. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has also been called to the scene to assist with the investigation.

Bethany Nannen, general manager of the pool, said the pool will be closed Wednesday and that staff will try to reopen Thursday.

A witness who requested to remain anonymous after receiving numerous phone calls from people he didn't know following the publication of an initial report was leaving the pool with a group of friends when the shooting occurred.

"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.”

The witness said a blue minivan drove up to the victim and fired a single shot from the driver’s side window, striking the man in the neck.

The witness and his friend, both of Burlington, acted quickly to get the victim a towel and wrap it around the wound in an effort to slow the bleeding until EMS and police arrived about two to three minutes later.

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

The suspect vehicle, the witness said, fled the scene just after the shooting. Logan said the suspect vehicle exited the parking lot and drove south.

“It was so quick. After he pulled the trigger, he was already leaving,” the witness said. “It was terrible.”

He said the gunfire sounded more like a car 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.”

Police arrived and the pool closed, the parking lot emptying quickly save for witnesses who stayed behind to talk to police.

The victim was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The pool, located at 602 West Burlington Ave., lies in a heavily residential area and 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.

This report will be updated as information becomes available.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Police investigating shooting in parking lot of West Burlington pool