Even Iowa isn't safe anymore

As published in my hometown newspaper, The HawkEye.


Shootings wound two
Men hospitalized; police seek two suspects in Wednesday incident.
By JEFF ABELL
jabell@thehawkeye.com
Two Burlington men were injured by gunfire Wednesday after a verbal argument turned violent, according to authorities.
Burlington police responded at around 1:52 p.m. Wednesday to the scene of a shooting in the 200 block of Union Court. At the scene, officers discovered a black male with a gunshot wound to the back laying on the roadway outside an apartment at 211 Union Court.
Inside the apartment, police found another black male who had been shot in the stomach.
The two men were rushed by ambulance to Great River Medical Center in West Burlington where they underwent emergency surgery Wednesday evening, according to police. Their condition was unavailable at press time.
Lois Allen was inside her bedroom dressing her granddaughter when the shooting took place. Allen, who lives next door to the crime scene, said a group of four to six males were arguing in front of her bedroom window when a gun was fired.
"It sounded like a small caliber gun. There was a boom, boom and I saw one of them lying in the street," said Allen.
"Someone hollered, 'Call an ambulance someone has been shot.' I heard someone say another man was lying on the floor inside the apartment. I didn't see the gun ... and they all scattered after it was fired."
Police initially believed two male suspects had fled into an apartment at 3103 Valley St., which was evacuated shortly after police arrived on the scene.
At around 3 p.m., the Burlington police canine unit entered the apartment. Several minutes later, police exited empty handed. A search warrant was later executed at the Valley Street apartment.
According to eyewitnesses, the suspects fled the scene on foot toward Market Street. As of Wednesday evening, the suspects were still at large.
"We are still actively following up leads," said Sgt. Greg Allen of the Burlington police.
Several neighbors allege drug activity in the area around Union Court and Valley Street has spiked in recent months.
"I am scared to sit outside on my porch ... they stay over there and I stay here," said one neighbor who wished to remain anonymous.
A sentiment Allen echoed.
"I have been living in fear here for years. I can't sleep ... you can't even keep your windows open because you don't know if they will try and break in or shot you," she said. "So many bad people have come here."
Wednesday's attack comes on the heels of a July shooting of a Burlington woman.
Dianna Dawson, 54, was discovered July 10 dead from gunshot wounds in the bedroom of the home she rented at 1008 Iowa St.
Anyone with information regarding Wednesday's shooting or Dawson's death should contact the Burlington police at (319) 753–8366. Police do not believe the crimes ar connected.