Ian Patrick, FISM News
Shots fired at East High School in Des Moines, Iowa on Monday afternoon left one teenager dead and two others in serious and critical conditions, according to the Des Moines police.
The police released information on Twitter shortly after gaining control of the situation. They said a 15-year-old male had died while the two wounded victims were both females, one 16 years old and the other 18 years old. The 15-year-old male was not a student at East High School.
At this time, these details can be confirmed:
• One victim, a 15-yr-old male,has died.
• Two victims, a 16-yr-old female & a 18-yr-old female, remain hospitalized.
• The victims were on East High School property, but not within the school building.2/3
— Des Moines Police (@DMPolice) March 8, 2022
The police further noted on their Twitter feed that the shooting appeared to originate from a passing vehicle. Shell casings were recovered at the scene, and six teenage suspects have been detained and charged with first-degree murder according to reporting by KCCI TV. No motive has been determined as of yet.
Police also issued search warrants involving the six teenagers and found six separate firearms.
The Des Moines police are being assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms in their investigation. Classes at the school where the shooting took place have been cancelled for today and the school suspended the ACT test for juniors until March 29, according to a release from the Des Moines Public Schools website.
Superintendent Thomas Ahart responded to the shooting saying that the nation lives “in an era when shootings in and near schools have become too common.” He said the staff will be around to help students deal with the trauma of the situation while calling for “real change to gun laws and access.”
Sgt. Paul Parizek told KCCI-TV that they “threw every resource” at this investigation adding “the kids in that school are our community’s most precious cargo,” according to reporting by KSN.