GLENWOOD, Iowa — A tragic and violent scene unfolded Wednesday evening in Glenwood, where authorities say a man shot three people — killing two — and then set fire to his own home.
The suspect, Dennis Burrell, is believed to have opened fire at a residence located at 409 North Grove Street around 7:56 p.m., according to Glenwood Police Chief Eric Johansen. Emergency personnel from Glenwood PD and the Mills County Sheriff’s Office arrived to find multiple victims with gunshot wounds and the home fully engulfed in flames.
Two victims were pronounced dead at the scene. A third was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The identities of the victims have not yet been released, pending family notification.
Chief Johansen assured the public during a late-night press conference that this was an “isolated incident”, and that a person of interest is in custody. “There is no ongoing threat to the community,” he stated.
Local residents told Channel2 NOW that they heard gunshots and an explosion before the house erupted in flames. Fire crews worked to extinguish the blaze, but the structure sustained significant damage.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Mills County Sheriff’s Office are assisting in what remains an active and ongoing investigation.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Glenwood Police.