Hornick, Iowa — Authorities say a father and son are dead following a series of incidents at a farm near Hornick. Hornick is about 30 miles southeast of Sioux City.
Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan says a man, later identified as 72-year-old Todd Sulsberger, called for help at about 7:30 Sunday night.
When deputies arrived at the farm, they found the suspect — 44-year-old Walter Sulsberger — sitting in a pick-up on his father’s farm.
Three armored vehicles were dispatched to the scene and the Iowa State Patrol provided air surveilance. Sheriff Sheehan says a crisis negotiator was on the phone with Walter Sulsberger for hours.
Sulsberger died at the scene. His father was found dead on the property a short time later. The sheriff has confirmed that just before Todd Sulsberger called 9-1-1 to say his son was shooting at him, dispatchers received a call that livestock were running loose and there was a fire on the property.
Two of the armored vehicles on the scene were struck by gunfire, but no law enforcement officers or first responders were injured. State agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation have been called in to investigate the shootings.
