Crimeupdated 55m ago2 min read
Des Moines Police: Shooting at Iowa Post Office Sends Three to Hospital, Suspect Detained
“Parizek said the suspect is a woman who worked at the office.”
“None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening, police said.”
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Three people injured and hospitalized after shooting at Des Moines main post office A suspect has been detained by police in connection with the shooting
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Post Office Shooting
A shooting at a post office near downtown Des Moines, Iowa, sent three people to the hospital and left a suspect in custody Thursday morning, according to Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek.
“The incident unfolded at the post office at 1165 Second Ave.”
Parizek said authorities received multiple calls at about 9:10 a.m. CT from inside the post office reporting that “someone was shooting on the second floor,” and he said the injuries were initially believed to be non-life-threatening.
Parizek said the suspect was detained just outside the post office, and he said officers responded within three minutes after reports started coming in around 9:10 a.m. local time.
The incident unfolded at the post office at 1165 Second Ave., and video from CNN affiliate WOI showed emergency responders in tactical helmets along with more than a dozen law enforcement vehicles.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said agents were responding to the incident to assist law enforcement partners.
Governor and Police
Gov. Kim Reynolds said she was in contact with the state Public Safety Department after receiving reports about the shooting at Des Moines’ Main Post Office, and she wrote, “The suspected shooter is in custody and the investigation is ongoing.”
Parizek told reporters, “We’re secure right now,” and he said police did not believe there was a second shooter while they searched areas to ensure no one else was hiding.
KCRG said Parizek told its Des Moines Bureau that two victims were injured from gunshot wounds and one was injured from a fall, and it said Parizek described the suspect as a woman who worked at the office.
Des Moines Public Schools said the district’s nearby elementary school, welcome center and nutrition center went into a secure status after police notified the district at 9:20 a.m., and it said the secure status was lifted after police notified them at 10 a.m. that a suspect was in custody.
The Des Moines Register said the suspected shooter was pointed out by witnesses trying to leave the scene and was arrested east of the post office.
Investigation and Response
Police asked the public to avoid the area around Second and University avenues as the investigation continued, and the Des Moines Register said Second Avenue reopened to traffic around 10:45 a.m. but a large police presence remained. Parizek told reporters that officers entered the building to check that there were no more victims, and CBS News reported that the shooter fired at least 10 shots. NBC News said the third person was injured trying to escape, and it said none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.
“Second Avenue reopened to traffic around 10:45 a.m.”
The Associated Press contributed to reporting that the main post office is just north of downtown Des Moines and across the street from one of the city’s main hospitals, and it said the building is a four-story regional sorting facility with a walk-in service counter accessible to the public. Authorities continued investigating what led to the shooting, and Parizek said the motive was not immediately clear.