No charges being filed for fatal shooting in Battle Creek, IA

BATTLE CREEK, Iowa (KTIV) - Authorities in Ida County, Iowa say no criminal charges are being filed after a shooting that resulted in one person’s death.

About two and a half months ago, there was a shooting in Battle Creek, Iowa. The shooting resulted in the death of 53-year-old Kevin Blume, a Battle Creek resident.

According to the Ida County Sheriff’s Office, Blume was shot by 22-year-old Branden Lee Wingert, also a Battle Creek resident. The sheriff’s office says Wingert is not being charged and this decision was “based on the facts and circumstances of the incident, and Iowa’s self-defense laws.”

“On May 24, 2024, Branden Lee Wingert of Battle Creek, Iowa fatally shot Kevin Lee Blume, also of Battle Creek, with a .22 caliber handgun following an altercation,” said the Ida County Sheriff’s Office in a press release.

The Ida County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Ida County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office were all involved in this case.