On the afternoon of Sunday, December 21, 2025, first responders in Waterloo, Iowa, were dispatched to a residence on the 400 block of Dawson Street following a medical emergency call. Authorities arrived at the scene around 4:15 p.m., where they discovered the body of a 44-year-old male, identified as Drew Janssen. Despite the immediate response from Waterloo Police and Fire Rescue, Janssen was pronounced deceased at the location, prompting law enforcement to secure the area and initiate a formal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death.
The investigation quickly transitioned from a medical call to a homicide case after the body was transported to the Iowa State Medical Examiner's Office in Ankeny for an autopsy. The examination subsequently confirmed that Janssen had died from a gunshot wound. Detectives from the Waterloo Police Department began processing the scene at 437 Dawson Street, searching for evidence and interviewing potential witnesses to piece together the events leading up to the shooting.
As of the days immediately following the incident, police had not announced any arrests or named public suspects in connection with the slaying. The authorities urged members of the community to come forward with any relevant information or surveillance footage that might assist in identifying those responsible. While the motive for the shooting remained under investigation, the sudden loss left friends and neighbors in the community expressing their grief over the violent death, awaiting further answers from the ongoing police work.
