Two postal employees were shot and a third was injured while escaping a Thursday morning attack at Iowa’s main postal facility, prompting a rapid police response and temporary security restrictions at nearby schools.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
DES MOINES, Iowa — A female U.S. Postal Service employee opened fire on coworkers at the main post office in Des Moines on Thursday, Nov. 5, injuring two employees and causing a third to be hurt while attempting to escape, authorities said. Police detained the suspected shooter shortly afterward.
Officers responded to reports of gunfire around 9:10 a.m. at the postal facility at 1165 Second Ave., just north of downtown Des Moines. The shooting occurred in a second-floor area that is not accessible to the public.
According to The Associated Press, two postal workers suffered gunshot wounds, while a third was injured in a fall during the attempt to flee. The three victims, two women and one man, were hospitalized with injuries that authorities said were not believed to be life-threatening.
Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said officers arrived at the facility within three minutes of receiving the emergency call.
“They’re all at the hospital, they are being cared for right now,” Parizek told reporters during a briefing.
Investigators said the suspected shooter, who also worked at the postal facility, fled the building after the gunfire. Officers located and detained her on a nearby bicycle path without resistance.
Witnesses reported hearing approximately 10 to 12 gunshots during the incident.
The circumstances leading to the shooting remained under investigation Thursday, and police had not publicly established a motive.
The facility is a four-story regional mail sorting center with a customer service counter on the ground floor. The shooting took place in an employee-only section of the building, away from the public retail area.
Police secured the building and searched for additional victims or possible threats while investigators began collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other law enforcement agencies assisted with the response. Federal authorities were also expected to participate in the investigation because the incident occurred at a U.S. Postal Service facility.
The shooting prompted precautionary security measures in the surrounding neighborhood, including temporary restrictions at nearby schools.
According to local reporting carried by FOX, authorities urged motorists and pedestrians to avoid the area around Second Avenue and University Avenue while emergency personnel worked at the scene.
Des Moines Public Schools temporarily restricted entry and exit at nearby facilities after receiving notification of the incident around 9:20 a.m.
Those restrictions were lifted by approximately 10 a.m. after authorities confirmed that the suspected shooter had been detained.
The main post office stands across the street from MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, one of the city’s principal hospitals. The hospital also implemented precautionary security measures during the emergency.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds confirmed that she was receiving updates from state authorities and expressed concern for those affected.
“The suspected shooter is in custody and the investigation is ongoing,” Reynolds wrote in a social media statement.
“We are monitoring the situation and our prayers are with everyone involved. Grateful for the immediate response by law enforcement.”
Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who represents Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, also addressed the shooting.
“I’m closely monitoring reports of the shooting at the USPS facility in Des Moines,” Nunn said. “My prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this tragedy. Grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders on the scene.”
The attack briefly disrupted operations at the postal facility as employees evacuated or remained inside under police instructions.
Investigators were working to determine whether the shooting involved a workplace dispute or other circumstances. Authorities had not identified the suspect publicly or announced criminal charges in the initial reports.
The initial police account reported by The Associated Press confirmed that all three injured employees were receiving medical care and that officers had quickly secured the scene.
Officials emphasized that the suspect was in custody and that there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the public.
As of Thursday, authorities continued examining evidence and interviewing postal employees to establish the sequence of events and determine what prompted the attack.
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