STUART — An Iowa State Patrol trooper who was shot while racing toward danger last month is finally home, continuing his recovery after spending more than three weeks in a Des Moines-area hospital.
Trooper Chase Carruthers was released from the hospital Friday, September 11, a welcome development after the violent August 18 shooting in Stuart that left one woman dead and Carruthers seriously wounded.
The Iowa State Patrol said Carruthers will continue recovering at home.
The agency and Carruthers’ family thanked Iowans for the tremendous amount of love, prayers and support they have received since the shooting while asking the public to continue respecting the trooper’s privacy as he heals.
It marks a dramatically better chapter in a case that began with tragedy.
As NorthIowaToday.com previously reported, law enforcement officers were called to the 200 block of SW 6th Street in Stuart at approximately 3:35 p.m. on August 18 after reports of gunfire.
Carruthers was among the first officers to arrive.
Authorities said he encountered 46-year-old Austin Nichols Reed, who was allegedly armed with a shotgun.
Investigators allege Reed shot Carruthers during the confrontation.
Other officers rushed to Carruthers, provided emergency aid and got him transported to a Des Moines-area hospital.
He would remain there for more than three weeks.
Carruthers had joined the Iowa Department of Public Safety only months earlier, beginning his service in December 2025.
The scene he entered that August afternoon was already deadly.
Police found 42-year-old Toni Elena-Ann Salazar dead outside the residence.
Reed was subsequently charged with first-degree murder in connection with Salazar’s death and attempted murder of a peace officer for allegedly shooting Carruthers.
Later court documents added even more disturbing allegations.
Investigators said Salazar had been standing near a gazebo with another person when Reed allegedly approached from behind and shot her with the shotgun.
Authorities allege Reed then pointed the weapon at the other person and pulled the trigger, but the shotgun malfunctioned, allowing that individual to escape.
Carruthers arrived moments later and was allegedly shot after encountering Reed.
Reed was taken into custody by other officers without further incident.
The accused gunman has since waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
At the latest reported court update, Reed remained jailed without bond while the first-degree murder and attempted-murder case moved forward.
A first-degree murder conviction in Iowa carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
For Carruthers, however, the newest development is not about courtrooms or charges.
It is about going home.
After weeks of medical treatment following a shooting that could easily have taken another life that afternoon, Carruthers is now able to continue his recovery surrounded by family rather than hospital walls.
The Iowa State Patrol has not disclosed detailed information about the extent of Carruthers’ injuries or what his rehabilitation may involve.
But his release from the hospital represents a major step forward for the young trooper, his family and fellow officers who have waited weeks for good news.
The criminal case against Reed remains pending.
Reed is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.