Shooting at Des Moines Main Post Office Wounds 3; Suspect in Custody

Three people were wounded Thursday morning when gunfire broke out on the second floor of the Main Post Office in Des Moines, Iowa, and the suspected shooter was taken into custody, the Des Moines Police Department said.

Police said the first calls came from inside the building at 1165 2nd Ave., just north of downtown, at about 9:10 a.m. CST. All three victims were taken to local hospitals with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening, according to police, KCCI and the Associated Press.

“We were able to get here and stop the killing before it got any worse,” police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek told reporters, according to WOI/We Are Iowa. Parizek said the first officer arrived within about three and a half minutes of the dispatch call and that at least one of the injured people sought medical care on their own, The Independent reported.

Hospital lockdown and road closures

The postal facility sits across the street from MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, which placed its emergency department on lockdown under its standard policy. A hospital spokesperson said there was no known threat to patients, visitors or staff.

Officers from Des Moines and Pleasant Hill police, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol responded, The Independent reported, citing The Des Moines Register. Police said the scene was secured, and crews swept the building to make sure no one else was hiding inside. Second Avenue was closed in both directions, with drivers directed to East 14th Street or 6th Avenue.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said on X that she was in contact with the Iowa Department of Public Safety. “The suspected shooter is in custody and the investigation is ongoing,” she wrote.

Developing: Police have not identified the suspect, described a motive, said what charges may be filed or said whether the suspect or the victims are postal employees.

Sources: Associated Press, KCCI, WOI/We Are Iowa, The Independent