Postal Worker Shoots Two Colleagues at Des Moines Office

Police officers detained a 39-year-old woman along a bike path near downtown Des Moines at 9:21 a.m. on Thursday, ending an eleven-minute search for the suspect in a shooting at the main post office. The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was holding a 9 mm handgun when officers secured her custody without resistance.

The violence began at the facility's second floor, an area closed to the public. Witnesses reported hearing between ten and twelve gunshots. Des Moines Police Sergeant Paul Parizek stated that calls regarding the shooting began arriving around 9:10 a.m. Two female employees, ages 45 and 53, were shot. A male employee, 55, suffered injuries after falling while attempting to escape the scene. All three victims were transported to a hospital across the street from the post office and listed in stable condition.

"They're all at the hospital. They are being cared for right now," Parizek said. He noted that officers arrived at the scene within three minutes of the initial reports. The post office is located just north of the central business district.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service confirmed via email that it is conducting a joint investigation with local, state, and federal law enforcement. Governor Kim Reynolds said she was in contact with the Department of Public Safety. "We are monitoring the situation and our prayers are with everyone involved," Reynolds posted online. "Grateful for the immediate response by law enforcement."

Des Moines Public Schools temporarily locked down a nearby elementary school, welcome center, and nutrition center. The restrictions were lifted after police confirmed the suspect was in custody.

The incident adds to a history of workplace violence at postal facilities. In 2000, postal officials released a study following several high-profile attacks, including a 1986 rampage in Edmond, Oklahoma, where a worker killed 14 colleagues, and a 1991 shooting in Royal Oak, Michigan, that left four dead. That report found that postal employees were less violent than the national workforce. A 2006 attack in Goleta, California, resulted in six fatalities at a sorting facility.