Iowa City Police: Shooting of Marine On Highway 6 Was Likely Unintentional

Iowa City Police have been giving updates throughout the week on a shooting that critically injured a 20-year-old man around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 17. They now say they believe the shooting of the man who was driving on Highway 6 was unintentional.

According to KCRG, Gabe Heefner was the man injured. Heefner was reportedly traveling east on Highway 6 when he was shot, his vehicle left the road, and crashed into a median west of the Sycamore Street intersection. He was unconscious when emergency personnel arrived.

The Iowa City Police Department says they have identified a person that they believe is responsible for the shooting. According to a Friday morning media release, police say they "believe the shooting was unintentional and there is no threat to public safety". They have not named the person they believe shot Heefner. Police say the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.

Heefner was in Iowa City visiting his grandparents before leaving for a three-year deployment to Japan with the U.S. Marine Corps. Nile Heefner, Gabe's father, tells KCRG that his son was shot in the forehead while driving to get food at Panda Express on Iowa City's southwest side. Gabe remains in critical condition at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Nile Heefner told KCRG,

It’s a tragedy in that he joined the Marines to serve his country, and instead of being in a foreign country and being shot, instead he comes to his hometown and is shot by a stray bullet.

A GoFundMe has been created to help the family with medical expenses. As of noon today, it's raised more than $41,000.