Iowa Nightclub Shooting: Police Believe Multiple Shooters Involved

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA — Police believe multiple shooters were involved in a nightclub shooting that killed two people and injured 10 more in Cedar Rapids early Sunday.

Preliminary information suggests there were multiple gunmen, but no suspects or motives have been named, Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

After gunfire rang out and people rapidly fled Taboo Nightclub and Lounge around 1:27 a.m., police found a man and a woman dead and 10 other people with injuries from "gunshots, shrapnel or other wounds caused by gunfire," Jerman said. "The shooter or shooters" may have escaped in the rush of people leaving the nightclub, he said.

There were 100 to 150 people in the nightclub when the shooting occurred. Police officers and first responders administered first aid to victims and took them to multiple area hospitals in patrol cars. The victims' injuries range from life-threatening to minor, and one person is in critical condition, Jerman said.

Police declined to reveal more information on the victims who died until their families could be notified.

The shooting was an isolated and targeted incident, and there are no indications it was gang-related, according to Jerman.

"I remain livid and angered at the ... blatant disregard and lack of respect for human life that continues," Jerman said. "I want to reassure the residents of this city that Cedar Rapids is a safe city."

Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell expressed condolences to the victims and those affected by the shooting in a statement posted to her Facebook account Sunday morning. She thanked police officers for their quick response to the shooting and implored residents to treat each other with respect and resolve issues peacefully.

"That's how we build the safe and welcoming community we all want for Cedar Rapids," O'Donnell said. "In this Easter season, prayers for peace, please."

It's the fourth and fifth homicides in Cedar Rapids this year, according to Jerman.

It's the second mass shooting in the country at or near a nightclub in the past week. Six people were killed and another 12 were injured when multiple gunman opened fire in a bar and nightclub district in downtown Sacramento, California, early in the morning April 3.

Taboo Nightclub, on 3rd Street SE in downtown Cedar Rapids, was hosting a '90s Bash event Saturday night, according to a post on the club's Instagram account.

Anyone who was present at the shooting or has knowledge of the incident is urged to contact Cedar Rapids Police at 319-286-5491 or Linn County Crime Stoppers at 800-272-7463.