Inset: Andrew Tanaka (Iowa Department of Public Safety). Background: News footage from the scene of the alleged shooting in Martensdale, Iowa (WOI).
An Iowa man accused of opening fire on multiple drivers reportedly told police, “I had to kill people,” on the day of the alleged shooting.
Andrew Tanaka, 27, is in custody at the Warren County Jail following his arrest Monday. The Iowa Department of Public Safety said multiple law enforcement agencies responded to Interstate 35 in Martensdale at about 3:30 p.m. Several 911 callers reported seeing a man “discharging a firearm,” according to an affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime. When officers arrived, they found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound and several vehicles that had been hit by bullets.
Officers located Tanaka farther down the road, standing on the shoulder with a firearm.
A witness told police that Tanaka was driving a black Chevrolet Equinox when he pulled alongside a Subaru Outback and allegedly fired “at least” two shots into it. One bullet struck the female driver in the shoulder. The witness said Tanaka then continued driving, caught up with her BMW and fired another shot at her.
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While traveling north, Tanaka reportedly rear-ended a Nissan Altima occupied by two people. After the crash, the Altima’s occupants got out to check on him. Police said Tanaka exited his “disabled” Equinox while armed with a handgun and allegedly fired a shot at the Altima’s windshield.
Police found Tanaka near the crash involving the Altima and arrested him without incident. According to the affidavit, he told officers, “I had to kill people today.”
The woman who was shot was taken to a hospital, where she was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening.
Tanaka faces four counts of attempted murder and is being held on a $1 million cash bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 16.
