(Radio Iowa) – Northwest Iowa authorities say a father and son are dead following a series of incidents at a farm near Hornick. Woodbury County Sheriff Chad Sheehan says a man, later identified as 72-year-old Todd Sulsberger, called for help at about 7:30 Sunday night. “The Woodbury County Communications Center received a 911 call from a male victim, reporting his son was shooting at him,” the sheriff says. When deputies arrived at the farm, they found the suspect — 44 year old Walter Sulsberger — sitting in a pick-up on his father’s farm.

“At 9:10 p.m., I made contact with the suspect via phone and he told me there would be no peaceful resolution and made threats toward law enforcement officers,” the sheriff said. Three armored vehicles were dispatched to the scene and the Iowa State Patrol provided air surveillance. Sheriff Sheehan says a crisis negotiator was on the phone with Walter Sulsberger for hours.

“At approximately 2:45 a.m. while the crisis negotiator was attempting to negotiate a peaceful surrender, the homicide suspect fired multiple shots at tactical teams who were attempting to move in to take the suspect into custody,” Sheehan says. “Being met with gunfire and in fear for their lives and with no other option, law enforcement personnel returned fire, striking the suspect.”

Sulsberger died at the scene. His father was found dead on the property a short time later. The sheriff has confirmed that just before Todd Sulsberger called 9-1-1 to say his son was shooting at him, dispatchers received a call that livestock were running loose and there was a fire on the property. “There were cattle out. How those cattle were made to be free, I don’t know. I’m sure the investigation will determine that,” Sheehan says. “There were fires set. I’m not aware of any that were set to buildings. There were fires that were set to hay bales…large bales that were set on fire.”

Two of the armored vehicles on the scene were struck by gunfire, but no law enforcement officers or first responders were injured. State agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation have been called in to investigate the shootings.