Shooting at Des Moines Charter School Leaves Two Students Dead

  • By Matt Jones
  • January 23, 2023

National news reports that two students were shot and killed at a Des Moines, Iowa, charter school on Monday afternoon. The school, Starts Right Here, specializes in education for disadvantaged students and has a close relationship with local police, according to NBC News. Police received a call at 12:50 p.m. CT and arrived at the school to find the two students and an adult employee wounded, said Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek. The employee is in stable condition.

“There was nothing random about this; it was certainly a targeted incident,” said Parizek. “As far as a motive, that’s something we are going to try to figure out.”

Parizek said that witnesses described a car feeling the scene, which officers pulled over 2 miles south of the school. Two people in the car surrendered to police, while the third escaped. A K-9 police unit assisted officers in capturing the third person, said Parizek.

Parizek said that “all three of the potential suspects are in custody” and are being questioned, NBC News reports.

“These are supposed to be our safe spaces, and this school in particular, it’s one that the police department works very closely with,” said Parizek. “The school is designed to pick up the slack and help kids who need the help the most, the ones who aren’t getting the services they need for a variety of different reasons. To have it happen here, it’s going to be a horrible impact on the community.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. He can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • Door Hardware and Campus Security: Enhancing Safety in Schools

    The importance of investing in school safety cannot be overstated, but knowing where to start implementation of school safety features can be a challenge. A recent survey by the National Center on Education Statistics found that a quarter of U.S. public schools have classrooms with doors that can't be locked from the inside. Even among schools with doors that do lock, recent legislation reflects a common misconception that simply keeping the doors locked all day will eliminate the potential for an attack, in direct violation of PASS (Partner Alliance for Safer Schools) Guidelines. Read Now

  • Brigham Young University Strengthens Campus Security With Genetec Operations Center

    Genetec Inc, a provider of enterprise physical security software, announced that Brigham Young University's (BYU) has optimized its security operations with the Genetec™ Operations Center work management system. Read Now

  • AI-based Risk Mitigation: The Next Advancement in Video Surveillance and Public Safety

    Safety is at the forefront of every organization and covers a gamut of scenarios, not just weapon-fueled lethal threats. It also includes smaller-scale and everyday situations like slipping hazards, fallen persons, unauthorized vehicles, and more. These issues cause disruptions in daily operations and cost companies and facilities money and downtime, so a fully realized security plan must involve actions that facility personnel should take once a hazard of any size occurs. Informing everyone that a hazard exists, where it’s located, and what actions to take is imperative for maintaining personal safety. Read Now

  • Fort Worth ISD Strengthens Event Safety

    The issue of concealed weapons being introduced into school extracurricular activities, including sporting events and graduations, became a growing concern in communities across the nation. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024 across the United States, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced safety protocols. Read Now

Most   Popular