Police and firefighters were called to 1035 First Ave. S. at 12:18 a.m. Wednesday for a report of a person with a gunshot wound.

Arriving on scene, emergency personnel found the man in front of the building, plus heat and smoke coming from a third floor apartment.

Investigators believe the man fell from a window of that burning apartment, the Police Department reported.

Police said his name will not be released until they are certain all of his next of kin have been notified.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
A loader that has a snow plow attached to its front clears snow in the 700 block of Central Avenue Wednesday afternoon.

The first arriving firefighters and paramedics worked to try to resuscitate the man, while additional firefighters were called to extinguish the fire. Lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two hoselines were taken into the building to put out the fire. The flames were contained to a third floor apartment on the west side of the building.

First Avenue South between 10th and 12th streets was closed during the incident.

Webster County sheriff’s deputies and the Webster County Medical Examiner’s Office responded, along with city police and firefighters.

The incident remains under investigation by the police and fire departments and the state Fire Marshal’s Office.

The building was constructed in 1892, according to online records of the Webster County Assessor’s Office. Those records list the property’s deed holder as 1035 First Ave. S. LLC, of Waterloo.