Friday morning I woke early to a text from a close friend. Two women had been murdered Thursday night at Cornerstone Church in Ames, in the mega-church’s parking lot. My youngest daughter was involved in youth group at Cornerstone, years ago. Since then, she has been through more than one violent relationship. The shooting took me back to a dark place. This was personal.

The shootings happened in my hometown. Where I ought to feel safe. I don’t feel safe. I feel angry.

I grew up in Ames, went to school here, went to church here, fell in love here, got married here, went to college here, gave birth here to my second daughter at Mary Greeley Medical Center. The girls went to our neighborhood elementary school, were raised by a community of people who cared about them. It takes a village, and we’ve been fortunate.

I am angry and terrified that one of our daughters will anger the wrong man.

The shooter, the media identified as a 33-year-old man from Boone, Jonathan Lee Whitlatch, purchased the ammunition an hour or two before he shot Eden Mariah Montang, 22, and Vivian Renee Flores, 21.

Red flag laws might have prevented this, as would closing the boyfriend loophole.

According to the Daily Mail, Whitlach was arrested May 31 in Boone County and charged with impersonating a public official and third-degree harassment of Montang.

The Story County sheriff reported that Whitlach was jailed in Boone County and bonded out.

Court documents show Whitlatch called an Ames spa where Montang worked several different times on Wednsday. At times, he claimed to be a police officer, other times using a different fake name. He was scheduled to appear in court on those charges on June 10.

Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald said Montang had a restraining order in place against Whitlatch.

Court records show that Whitlatch was arrested in November on a charge of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse and had been set to go to trial next month. Police said security camera footage shows him twice forcing his hand down a woman’s pants at a Cedar Falls bar.

In 2017, a judge approved a temporary restraining order against Whitlatch after another woman in southeastern Iowa accused him of domestic abuse, but the order was lifted a month later.

Last week, a judge ordered the state to start garnishing Whitlatch’s wages to pay child support to a woman with whom he had fathered a child. Whitlatch also had a previous child custody dispute with a different woman, according to court records, and got divorced from yet another woman in 2014.

The shooter had a long history of violent behavior. It’s easy to see that his former romantic partner, Montang, was in danger. She knew it, and posted about violent, controlling relationships on her Instagram page.

The restraining order did not protect her.

Montang was a student at Iowa State University and a graduate of Boone High School. Flores was also a student at ISU and a graduate of Valley High School. Both women were devout Christians. A third woman was able to escape Whitlatch’s 9-mm handgun and survived. Law enforcement responded minutes after the 911 calls.

A Cornerstone Elder who works in law enforcement responded almost immediately to the carnage. The FBI helped multiple police officers from Ames, ISU, Story County, Story City and more interview witnesses and people inside Cornerstone. The investigation continues.

What will we do to protect the next victim of gun violence? When do I get to walk around and not worry about an angry man with a gun? I don’t know, but I will keep fighting, and voting for people who will help make this a better, safer world for women and girls.

I do not have all of the answers. But I am going to keep asking questions.

Cynthia Paschen lives in Ames and Hamilton County and writes as a freelancer for the Daily Freeman-Journal.