GLENWOOD, Iowa — A man and his wife were shot dead in a small western Iowa town, with the man suspected of shooting them critically injured in an explosion and subsequent fire in his own residence, authorities stated.
On Wednesday night, dispatchers received reports of a shooting in Glenwood, a town of about 5,000 situated roughly 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Iowa’s capital, Des Moines. Police found two people shot and a home engulfed in flames, Glenwood Police Chief Eric Johansen reported during a Wednesday night press briefing. An explosion shortly following the shootings sparked the fire, Johansen added.
By Thursday afternoon, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation identified the victims as 38-year-old Brandon Oman, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and his wife, 35-year-old Stevie Oman, who succumbed to her injuries at a hospital in neighboring Omaha, Nebraska. Both individuals were discovered outside the burning house, which authorities claim belongs to the shooter.
The suspect was named as 71-year-old Dennis Burnell, who suffered critical injuries in the fire. He was arrested upon exiting his burning home and subsequently taken to a hospital. Authorities suspect that Burnell was responsible for shooting the Omans, per a statement from the Division of Criminal Investigation.
Investigators have not confirmed if or how the Omans and Burnell were acquainted. Johansen indicated that there has been previous law enforcement involvement at Burnell’s residence, though he refused to elaborate on the details of those incidents.
Online court records reveal that Burnell was convicted of third-degree harassment against a neighbor last August and was fined. Attorney Ryan Michael Dale, based in Council Bluffs, Iowa, noted that he has not yet been contacted to represent Burnell in the latest case against him.
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