Authorities say fatal shooting was justified in October 2023 standoff near Hornick, IA

“I conclude that the fatal shooting of Walter Sulsberger by law enforcement officers was legally justified.”

SIOUX CITY (KTIV) - Authorities are saying the fatal shooting was justified during an hours-long standoff near Hornick, Iowa where two deaths were reported.

Authorities reported the deaths of Walter Sulsberger and Todd Sulsberger after an October 2023 standoff north of Hornick.

During a news conference on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, authorities confirmed Walter Sulsberger had shot and killed his father Todd Sulsberger during this incident.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were sent to 2595 Old Highway 141 at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. A standoff ensued with Walter Sulsberger that went on for eight hours, during which authorities say Walter Sulsberger shot at officers multiple times and made threats to negotiators.

Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis says at first they didn’t know where Walter Sulsberger was on the property and he purposedly set fires to hay bales to keep law enforcement confused.

Eventually, they learned Walter Sulsberg had taken up a position on the highest point on the property. After hours of failed attempts to get him to surrender, and worrying they might lose track of him, officers decided to approach Walter Sulsberger on foot and in two armored vehicles. While officers were approaching Loomis says, Walter Sulsberger fired at the officers and ended up disabling one of the armored vehicles. Officers returned fire and Walter Sulsberger was killed. No major injuries were reported among the law enforcement officers.

“Multiple law enforcement officers with military combat experience were on scene that night and told me when the tactical teams moved in to take the suspect into custody, the gun battle that ensued sounded like a warzone in Iraq or Afghanistan,” said Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan.

Loomis said during the news conference that due to his actions in the standoff, officers were justified in using deadly force against Walter Sulsberger.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was called in to investigate this standoff. Their investigation has been completed and Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis says no criminal charges need to be filed.

“Law enforcers place themselves in danger every day to keep us safe,” said Loomis. “They have responsibilities that most of don’t want, or don’t want to take on, or are incapable of. Sunday into Monday they displayed their courage, their valor, their sympathy, but also their compassion for the family involved.”

A timeline of events for the standoff

It all started Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, at 2595 Old Highway 141 when a 911 call came in at about 7:30 p.m. from Todd Sulsberger. Loomis said Todd Sulsberger was the property owner at 2595 Old Highway 141 and had a cattle operation there. Before this phone call, law enforcement was already in the area responding to reports of cattle on the road, which they later learned came from Todd Sulsberger’s property.

During the call, Todd Sulsberger told authorities his son, Walter Sulsberger, was “crazy” and was shooting at him. Todd Sulsberger said he was worried his son would kill him. About 90 seconds into the call, operators heard the sound of a gunshot and Todd Sulsberger’s voice was never heard again.

When deputies arrived on the property, they heard gunfire from what Sheriff Sheehan described as a semi-automatic weapon “illegally modified” to fire like a fully automatic weapon.

A standoff ensued, and over the next several hours, efforts were made to end the situation peacefully. But Loomis says Walter Sulsberger told authorities it was “too late for that.” Walter Sulsberger’s wife was also brought in to try and convince him to surrender.

Armed with an automatic weapon, two handguns, a stockpile of ammunition, as well as tactical gear which included a night vision helmet and armored plates, the standoff lasted until the early morning hours of Monday, Oct. 30. Sheriff Sheehan told KTIV that Walter Sulsberger’s actions seemed to be pre-planned.

“Prior to that day I have no idea, but I would say the actions he took that particular day in that eight-hour window were pretty calculated,” said Sheriff Sheehan.

At about 2:45 a.m. two armored vehicles and officers on foot approached Walter Sulsberger’s position. Walter Sulsberger fired at law enforcement, striking the armored vehicles multiple times, disabling one of them.

“This incident was like nothing I’ve experienced in my nearly 30-year career in law enforcement,” said Sheriff Sheehan. “Over the course of the nearly eight-hour incident the suspect fired hundreds of rounds of ammunition.”

Law enforcement returned fire and after several minutes of gunfire, a ceasefire was ordered. Walter Sulsberger’s body was found and he was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy determined he died from multiple gunshot wounds. A toxicology report also showed Walter Sulsberger had a blood alcohol content of .147, just a little under twice the legal limit to drive.

“I don’t believe there would be any way to identify who would have fired the fatal shot... there were shots fired by multiple law enforcement officials,” said Sheriff Sheehan when asked if investigators knew who fatally shot Walter Sulsberger.

As the sun rose on Monday, Oct. 30, Loomis says officers found Todd Sulsberger dead in his truck, which was on its side. Investigators found multiple bullet holes in the truck and it was determined Todd Sulsberger died from a single gunshot wound to his head.