Linn County Sheriff’s Office continues investigating fatal shooting near Coggon

COGGON - No arrests have been made in Wednesday's fatal shooting near Coggon, but Linn County investigators continue working today to piece together how one man ended up dead outside the rural Linn County home.

The name of the victim will not be released until a positive identification is made by the Linn County Medical Examiner's Office, according to authorities.

Col. John Stuelke of the Linn County Sheriff's Office said the entire criminal division worked through the night Wednesday into Thursday, and several investigators were at the scene of the shooting - 2260 Seven Hills Road, about five miles southwest of Coggon - throughout the afternoon Thursday.

They worked both inside and outside of the tan, two-story home that sits in a wooded area off a gravel road and across from a cornfield. The area surrounding the home had been closed last night while authorities were searching for suspects, but no roads are closed at this time, Stuelke said.

Stuelke said he couldn't comment on how many individuals have been questioned and declined to give any further information on the investigation.

According to public records and confirmed by a neighbor, the Zerba family live at 2260 Seven Hills Road.

Authorities have not confirmed the names of anyone involved in the incident.

Incident report

Sheriff Brian Gardner said Wednesday the shooting wasn't a 'random act.”

'We do believe it was targeted,” he said Wednesday.

Gardner said deputies were called to the home just before 6 p.m. Wednesday for a person who had been shot at that location. When deputies arrived on scene, they found one person 'obviously deceased” in the yard of the residence, Gardner said.

Gardner said deputies interviewed several witnesses on the scene and searched for witnesses or suspects with the aid of the Cedar Rapids and Marion police departments and the Iowa State Patrol, which provided an airplane to assist the search.

'Three vehicles were located with possible suspects and/or witnesses,” Gardner said. 'Several people have been taken into custody and are being interviewed.”

Gardner said everyone believed to be part of the investigation has been found and accounted for.

'No one is at large,” he said. 'The public is not in danger.”

In addition to interviewing suspects and witnesses last night, Gardner said investigators were obtaining search warrants and hoped to have those conducted overnight. The vehicles the suspects and witnesses were found in have been impounded.

Gardner said Wednesday that weapons have been located, but he said he didn't know with certainty if they had the weapon used in the incident for certain.

'It is assumed we have the shooter or shooters in custody as we believe we have everyone that was at the residence when this occurred,” Gardner said. 'Who specifically that person is remains to be seen.”

Resident reacts

Melissa Elliot, owner of Mel's Country Cuts hair salon, 101 E. Main St. in Coggon, said she heard about the situation Wednesday night after her children's high school in the North Linn Community School District was put on lockdown just after 7 p.m.

'They didn't tell us what it was about,” said Elliott, 42. 'I just heard later that it was a shooting.”

Elliott said it was 'nerve racking” until her children, ages 15 and 16, returned to their home near Troy Mills, about eight miles west of Coggon.

'It was a little bit on the scary side,” she said.

Elliott, along with other community members in Coggon and the surrounding area, say they have not heard any confirmation on the deceased individual or anything about the incident. However, they said there is plenty of speculation.

'I feel sorry for the one who did lose their life, even though I don't know the circumstances,” Elliott said. 'No one should lose their life that way. I hope (the authorities) get to the bottom of this and get who deserves to be behind bars.”

Elliott described Coggon, population 650, as a tight-knit community where 'everybody looks out for one another.”

'It's a good bedroom community to Cedar Rapids,” she said.

- Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com

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ORIGINAL STORY: Several people are in custody Wednesday night at the Linn County Sheriff's Office amid an investigation into a fatal shooting southwest of Coggon.

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said investigators are piecing together what they can late Wednesday, but it is clear that the first Linn County homicide of the year didn't appear to be random.

'We do believe it was targeted,” Gardner said.

Deputies were called to 2260 Seven Hills Road in rural Linn County just before 6 p.m. after a report of a person being shot at that location, Gardner said. Deputies found one person 'obviously deceased” in the yard of the residence, he said.

Authorities were not yet releasing the identity of the person who was killed.

Gardner said deputies interviewed several witnesses on the scene and searched for witnesses or suspects, with the aid of the Cedar Rapids and Marion police departments and Iowa State Patrol, which provided an airplane to assist in the search.

'Three vehicles were located with possible suspects and/or witnesses,” Gardner said late Wednesday night. 'Several people have been taken into custody and are being interviewed.”

Gardner said authorities had accounted for everyone thought to be part of the investigation.

'No one is at large,” he said. 'The public is not in danger.”

In addition to interviewing suspects and witnesses, Gardner said investigators are writing search warrants and hope to have those conducted overnight. The vehicles in which the suspects and witnesses were found were impounded.

Authorities have found weapons, Gardner said, but they don't know whether they have the weapon used in the fatal shooting.

'It is assumed we have the shooter or shooters in custody, as we believe we have everyone that was at the residence when this occurred,” Gardner said. 'Who specifically that person is remains to be seen.”