Life Imprisonment for Man Who Fatally Shot Iowa Grocery Store Employee in Monticello

MONTICELLO, Iowa —A man from Jo Daviess County has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the violent death of an Iowa grocery store employee, which the police described as a “random act of violence.”

According to court records, Nathan Russell, who resided in East Dubuque at the time of the shooting, withdrew a not-guilty plea on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the gunshot death of 48-year-old Aaron McAtee on November 7. McAtee was fatally wounded outside Fareway Meat and Grocery in Monticello, an eastern Iowa community of approximately 4,000 residents.

Russell was sentenced to life imprisonment after the judge heard testimony from McAtee’s relatives.

“I feel as though I perished with Aaron that day,” stated Aimee Jouanne, McAtee’s sister. “I am experiencing an impasse in my happiness.” A letter from McAtee’s mother, who stated that her heart is “broken for good,” was read by a victim’s advocate.

According to law enforcement, Russell fired his weapon at McAtee while he was situated in close proximity to a loading port.  A depu

ty located Russell approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) distant in Hopkinton, Iowa. According to investigators, Russell’s refusal to comply resulted in the deputy shooting and injuring him. In December, a prosecutor determined that the deputy’s actions were justified in shooting the individual.