University of Iowa Grad Student Killed in North Liberty Shootout with Police May Have Shown Warning Signs in Past

Much is still unknown about the officer-involved shooting in North Liberty Sunday night as officers were responding to a domestic dispute call at North Liberty's Holiday Mobile Home Court.

What was revealed Monday was the identity of the shooter, some previous concerns authorities had regarding a past gun permit application, and the fact that three officers had received non threatening injuries during the firefight, as opposed to the two officers that was originally reported.

University of Iowa Had Reservations About Gun Permit Request

Vanessa Miller of the Gazette is reporting that the University of Iowa had reportedly expressed concern to Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek when student Taleb Salameh had applied for a handgun permit earlier this year.

The University of Iowa recommended that Taleb Hussein Yousef Salameh be denied a weapons permit in 2010, but the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office issued him a permit to purchase anyway in February of that year, public records show.

In public records released by the university, attached to this story in PDF format, the University of Iowa asked that a hold be placed on the handgun permit until a psychiatric evaluation could be completed.

"I have serious reservations about Mr. Salemeh's intention to purchase a handgun," wrote David L. Grady, associate dean for student services at the University of Iowa in a letter date March 18, 2010.

Grady then listed the numerous alcohol related arrests Salameh had been charged with, along with an assault on a student in another state in 2009.

"I respectfully request that you carefully consider this information when evaluatingn Mr. Salameh's application for the gun permit," he wrote.

UI Grad Student Killed in Shootout in with Police; Three Officers Injured

A 28-year-old graduate student at the University of Iowa was killed Sunday and three officers were injured during a shootout at North Liberty's Holiday Mobile Home Court, according to authorities.

From the Iowa City Press-Citizen: 

Shooter identified in North Liberty mobile home park shooting

The shooter has been identified as 28-year-old Taleb Hussein Yousef Salameh, a graduate research assistant in the mechanical engineering department at the University of Iowa. Salameh died at the scene, according to a news release from the Johnson County Sheriff's Department.

Little is known about Salameh at this point, but a profile on the website for the Global Illumination Council states he was born in Iowa City and lived there his entire life.

The profile also stated Salameh was pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical information and has a young daughter.

As was reported yesterday, officers from all over Johnson County responded at about 6 p.m. for the report of an officer-involved shooting at the mobile home park. The North Liberty Police Officers who had first responded to a domestic dispute on the scene reported taking fire almost immediately after their arrival, according to authority accounts.

The three officers received non-life threatening wounds during the incident.

From the KCRG report:

Three Officers Injured, Man Killed in Gunfire Exchange in North Liberty

North Liberty officers arrived on scene within three minutes and made contact with a female victim, according to the news release.

They also contacted Taleb Hussein Yousef Salameh, who exchanged gunshots with the officers, Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek reported. Salameh died at the scene, according to Pulkrabek, and three officers were hit by gunfire in the exchange, according to Pulkrabek.

They were taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where they were treated and released. The female victim was not injured in the incident, and no one else was in the mobile home at the time, Pulkrabek reported.

The names of the officers involved have not been released pending an investigation into the incident. According to usual protocol for officer-involved shootings, they have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the conclusion of the investigation by the Iowa Department of Public Safety.