Des Moines, Iowa: Two students were killed on Monday and an adult was seriously wounded in a "targeted" shooting at a nonprofit educational center for at-risk youth in Des Moines, Iowa, local police said.
The students died at a hospital, while a staff member of Starts Right Here, a learning facility for young people, was in surgery, Sargent Paul Parizek said at a press conference.
Emergency crews were called to the school, which is in a business park that also houses Des Moines' Social Security Administration office, just before 1 p.m. About 20 minutes after the shooting, police said officers stopped a car about two miles away and took “multiple suspects" into custody.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, who serves on an advisory board for Starts Right Here, said she was “shocked and saddened to hear about the shooting.”
“I’ve seen first-hand how hard Will Keeps and his staff works to help at-risk kids through this alternative education program,” Reynolds said in a statement. "My heart breaks for them, these kids and their families. Kevin and I are praying for their safe recovery.”
Nicole Krantz said her office near the school was put on lockdown immediately after the shooting, and she saw someone running from the building with police in pursuit on foot and in patrol cars.
“We just saw a lot of cop cars pouring in from everywhere,” Krantz said to the Des Moines Register. “It’s terrifying. We’re all worried. We went on lockdown, obviously. We were all told to stay away from the windows because we weren’t sure if they caught the guy.”
The shooting was at an educational program called Starts Right Here that is affiliated with the Des Moines school district. The program, which helps at-risk youth, was founded by Will Holmes, a rapper whose stage name is Will Keeps.
