26-year-old woman is shot to death in Iowa parking lot, cops say. ‘A loving mother’

Officers in Iowa are searching for a man accused of fatally shooting a 26-year-old mother in a parking lot, police say.

The Ford Dodge Police Department said its officers were dispatched to a residential area around 10 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, after receiving multiple reports of shots fired.

First responders found the woman unresponsive. They began life-saving efforts, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a March 31 news release.

She was identified as Nicole Reza, of Fort Dodge, and social media posts indicate she was a mother to young boys.

“You put people first and you are a loving mother to your children & family & relationship,” Jesse Montes said in a Facebook post.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Adarius Clayton, who has been charged with murder, according to police. He is “considered armed and dangerous,” police said.

The relationship between Reza and Clayton is unclear. Police did not state a motive for the killing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ford Dodge police at 515-573-1424.

“I have such a burning hate for who did this & I pray that her babies and her family find peace,” one loved said in a Facebook post. “She did not deserve this and neither did they.”

Fort Dodge is about 95 miles northwest of Des Moines.