On a late spring evening in Hiawatha, Iowa, the life of Joshua Lathrop, a 31-year-old Caucasian male, came to a violent and sudden end. On May 30, 2020, at approximately 11:40 P.M., a heated argument erupted at the Sunset Village Mobile Home Park, shattering the night's quiet with the sounds of a disturbance that would ultimately lead to a fatal exchange of gunfire.
Numerous residents frantically called 911 to report the escalating chaos centered around an intersection within the community.
The initial confrontation involved an unarmed Joshua Lathrop and another man, Terrone Bell, who was armed with a handgun. The verbal dispute quickly intensified, drawing in three other individuals: Terrone's twin brother, Tyler Bell, along with Truman Harris and Chad Harris. Both Truman and Chad Harris were also carrying handguns. What began as a disagreement spiraled into a frenzied gun battle, with a total of 25 shots fired in a matter of moments. When the first police officer arrived, he was met with a scene of utter chaos, the air thick with gunpowder smoke and the emotional cries of bystanders. Four men, including Lathrop, were found lying near each other with gunshot wounds.
Joshua Lathrop was discovered in the middle of the intersection and was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later revealed he had been shot twice. One bullet had entered his left chest, causing fatal damage to his heart and lungs, while a second bullet had struck his hand and lodged in his forearm. Ballistic analysis determined that the fatal shot to his chest was fired from the handgun belonging to Terrone Bell, and the bullet in his arm came from the weapon used by Truman Harris. Three other men, Terrone Bell, Tyler Bell, and Chad Harris also sustained gunshot wounds during the shootout.
Following an investigation into the shooting, the Linn County Attorney's Office announced that no charges would be filed in the death of Joshua Lathrop. The investigation concluded that Lathrop, who was reportedly heavily intoxicated, had been the initial physical aggressor in the encounter. He had deliberately confronted Terrone Bell, knowing he was armed, and physically struck him, preventing him from leaving the scene. The county attorney determined that Terrone Bell had acted in self-defense, finding it reasonable for him to have used deadly force after being assaulted and then seeing Truman Harris running toward him with a gun. The other armed individuals also claimed they fired their weapons in response to a perceived deadly threat. The only individual to face a criminal charge in the aftermath was Tyler Bell, who was charged with carrying a firearm without a legal permit.
