PARKERSBURG, Iowa – A 24-year-old former high school football player walked into the school's weight room Wednesday morning and fatally shot his former coach, before sheriff's deputies arrested him at a nearby home a short time later, authorities said.

Mark Becker shot Aplington-Parkersburg High School football coach Ed Thomas several times with a handgun after walking into the room at about 8 a.m., authorities said. Thomas was rushed to nearby Waterloo hospital, where he died.

Several students were in the room at the time of the shooting, but none were injured, said Kevin Winker, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. School was not in session Wednesday.

"The people that were present were not threatened in any way," Winker said.

Becker is charged with first-degree murder and was being held in Butler County jail.

Winker said Becker was arrested without incident at a home in rural Parkersburg shortly after authorities received a 911 call about the shooting.

He said he couldn't discuss what Becker's motive for the slaying might have been, or what Becker might have been up to in the days leading up to the shooting.

"Motive is one of those things we're looking into," Winker said.

Winker said Becker used a handgun in the shooting. He did not elaborate.

He said investigators plan on interviewing students who were in the weight room and to look into Becker's past.

"Mr. Becker's entire past is being looked at," Winker said.

The school is in Parkersburg, about 80 miles northeast of Des Moines.

Thomas compiled a career record of 292-84 in 37 seasons as a head coach, 34 of them at Aplington-Parkersburg, and was one of the most well-known high school football coaches in Iowa. He was honored as the NFL High School Coach of the Year in 2005, and four of his former players are in the NFL: Green Bay's Aaron Kampman, Jacksonville's Brad Meester, Detroit's Jared DeVries and Denver's Casey Wiegmann.

the hell?

I wonder what went down?

How lovely.

Graycap23 said:

I'm scared to ask. Why you doing this six years AFTER he was your coach?

SCNDLS said:

How fucked up if he was suffering from glory day syndrome as in he couldn't handle that they were behind him.

SCNDLS said:

I have a feeling.....and it's NOT good.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

Nah, I'm thinking more like retribution for something the coach may have done to him, but of course that's total speculation.

Graycap23 said:

Family of Iowa suspect urges prayers after coach's killing

The family of a man suspected of fatally shooting an Iowa football coach urged the community Thursday to pray for the victim's family.

Mark Becker, 24, faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Ed Thomas, 58, a longtime football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg High School.

Investigators believe Becker walked into the school's weight room, where Thomas was overseeing athletes' training Wednesday morning, and shot him several times as about 20 horrified students looked on. Thomas was flown to a hospital, where he later died.

"Our family wishes to express our deepest sympathy to the Thomas family," the Becker family said in a statement to CNN television affiliate KWWL.

The community has lost an icon, a leader and a teacher, the statement said.

"Our family asks for prayer for the Thomas family, our community, our school and our students as they go through the next days, weeks and years ahead."

Becker is a former student at Aplington-Parkersburg, which is about 100 miles northeast of Des Moines, and a former football player, authorities said.

"It's just too early to speculate" on a motive for the shooting, said Kevin Winker, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The suspect had "recent contact" with police in Cedar Falls, about 25 miles east of Parkersburg, authorities said.

On Saturday, Becker led police on a high-speed chase after he allegedly broke into a man's house, according to a statement from the division.

Becker was arrested after a pursuit that reached speeds of more than 80 mph, Cedar Falls police said.

He was taken into custody, but authorities determined he needed medical attention the next morning, and he was taken to a hospital. Police asked to be notified when he was released, the statement said.

Becker was released Tuesday and spent the night at his parents' Parkersburg home before heading to the high school Wednesday morning, the division said.

Law enforcement officials said they were unaware that Becker had been released.

"Cedar Falls police was awaiting notification that the subject was to be released from custody in order to arrest Becker and file the charges relevant to the Cedar Falls incident," a police statement said.

He faces felony charges of criminal mischief and eluding authorities, along with traffic offenses, in the Saturday incident, Cedar Falls police said.

Winker would not provide further details on why Becker was transported to the hospital.

A 911 call came in at 7:47 a.m. Wednesday regarding the high school shooting, the Division of Criminal Investigation said. Becker was arrested in the driveway of his parents' home without incident.

Thomas had been with the school district since 1975 and was a regionally well-known coach, said district Superintendent Jon Thompson.

The coach's son, Aaron Thomas, said Wednesday that his father would want to be remembered not only as a coach, teacher and father, but also for his involvement in his church, calling him "a man of deep faith who touched many lives."

"God always has a reason," he said. "At this time, it's very tough for us to understand that."

damn, someone dropped the ball in notifying the police and now a man is dead. damn.

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

CNN reported that the hospital said they were not asked to notify the police. So you know they gon' play hot potato with this one.