MAQUOKETA, IOWA – A shooting took place at a courthouse in Jackson county, Iowa, today. A man upset about his taxes allegedly went after a property assessor before shooting a county supervisor and then killing himself.
According to reports, a man now identified as Gus Glaser, age 71 of Maquoketa and a former city official there, brought a gun to the courthouse Tuesday morning. A Supervisor agenda shows that Glaser’s property tax complaint was on the board’s agenda for 9:30 AM a complaint he has apparently had for some time.
Jackson County Sheriff Russ Kettman at a press conference Tuesday after the incident said that Glaser tried to shoot the Jackson County Assessor, listed as Deb Glaser, on the county’s web site, but he missed. Supervisor Buck Koos intervened and tackled Glaser, the sheriff said, and then Glaser shot himself dead. The courthouse was then shut down indefinitely.
Records show Glaser has been complaining about a tax assessment for years. Meeting minutes from board meetings show Glaser filed an appeal about a property tax assessment “that occurred many years ago, he filed his appeal and it has not be changed or corrected and that he wasted a tax exemption. “Glaser received three years of exemption, not the amount he wanted due to the home not completed in a timely manner and no one can turn back time. Glaser agreed this matter was not settled to his satisfaction,” minutes from a 2013 meeting show.
It was said that a sign has been posted at the Jackson county courthouse, for some time, that says “no firearms”.
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