Authorities in Des Moines, Iowa, took a female suspect into custody on Thursday following a shooting at the city's main post office that left three people injured. Des Moines Police Department Sgt. Paul Parizek stated that two individuals were shot and a third person was injured while attempting to escape. Officials reported that none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.
The incident occurred at the United States Postal Service (USPS) facility located north of downtown Des Moines, which serves as a regional sorting center and public service counter. Police received reports of shots fired on the second floor of the building around 9:10 a.m. Sgt. Parizek said officers arrived at the scene within three and a half minutes of the initial dispatch call.
According to police and the Des Moines Register, the suspect was a postal employee at the facility. Witnesses at the scene assisted law enforcement by pointing out the suspect, who was subsequently detained by probation patrol officers on a nearby bike trail. While the suspect is in custody, her name has not been released, and investigators have not yet identified a motive for the shooting.
All three victims were employees of the postal service. Following the incident, two of the victims drove themselves to a hospital located across the street from the facility. The Des Moines Police Department, Polk County Sheriff's Office, Iowa State Patrol, and Pleasant Hill Police Department all responded to the scene, where they conducted a sweep of the building to ensure no other individuals were hiding.
This event affected the employees and operations of the Des Moines main post office, a four-story regional sorting hub. The shooting resulted in three postal workers being hospitalized. The facility serves as both a mail processing center and a public-facing service counter.
Nearby public institutions were also immediately impacted by the security response. Des Moines Public Schools placed a nearby elementary school, a welcome center, and a nutrition center into "secure status" for 40 minutes, starting at 9:20 a.m. During this period, no one was allowed in or out of the buildings until police confirmed a suspect was in custody at 10:00 a.m.
The investigation is ongoing, with Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) confirming they are monitoring the situation. As of Thursday afternoon, the suspect remained in custody.