CRIME 2 students killed, program founder wounded in shooting at Iowa school for at-risk youth; suspect arrested

 Two students were killed Monday in what police believed was a gang-related shooting at a Des Moines charter school dedicated to helping at-risk youth. The founder of the facility was also shot and wounded in the attack. An 18-year-old suspect has been arrested, the police said in a statement Monday night.



The shooting took place at Starts Right Here, a facility affiliated with the Des Moines school district.

Police said the victims killed were 16 and 18 years old. The person wounded was identified as 49-year-old William Holmes, known as Will Keeps, the founder and CEO of Starts Right Here. He remains hospitalized in serious condition, the police said. 

The Des Moines Police Department said detectives arrested a suspect, 18-year-old Preston Walls. He has been charged with two counts of murder in the first degree, attempted murder and criminal gang participation.

"The incident was definitely targeted. It was not random. There was nothing random about this," Sgt. Paul Parizek said.

Emergency crews were called to the school, which is in a business park, just before 1 p.m. Officers arrived to find two students critically injured, and they started CPR immediately. The two students died at a hospital. 

According to a police press release, Walls walked into a common area of the school where Holmes and the two students were. When Holmes tried to escort Walls from the area, Walls allegedly pulled a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine and began to shoot at both teenage victims. Holmes was also struck, and then Walls ran, police said.

Des Moines police officers on patrol saw a a "suspicious vehicle" leaving the area of the shooting and pulled it over. Walls, who was inside, fled, but was located a short time later and taken into custody without incident. Police said the 9mm handgun was found nearby. The extended ammunition magazine in the handgun had a capacity of 31 rounds, and contained three, the police said. 

According to police, Walls had been wearing a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor as part of a supervised pre-trial release and cut off the monitor approximately 16 minutes before the shooting. 

"Walls, and both deceased victims, are known gang members, belonging to opposing gangs, and evidence indicates that that these crimes were committed as a result of an ongoing gang dispute," the police statement said.

Police said two other people have also been taken into custody as part of the investigation.

Popular posts from this blog

South Korea, Japan grapple with heavy snow chaos, delays

 South Korea -- Frigid winter weather gripped East Asia for the second straight day on Wednesday, causing several deaths and multiple injuries in Japan and a scramble for flights out of South Korea's resort island of Jeju following delays by snowstorms. Heavy snow and record cold temperatures brought widespread disruptions in Japan. South Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety didn’t immediately report any major damage or injuries from subzero temperatures and icy conditions that have affected most of the country since Tuesday. But at least eight roads and 10 sea routes remained closed as of Wednesday afternoon. About 140 homes in capital Seoul and nearby regions reported busted water pressure pumps or pipes as temperatures dipped to around minus 15 to minus 20 degrees Celsius (5 degrees to minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) across the mainland. A man died in Oita, southern Japan, after being hit by a fallen tree and two more deaths in the northern pre...
Read more

Top Wikipedia Editor has been Arrested in Belarus

Image
  Prominent   Wikipedia   editor Mark Bernstein has been detained in   Belarus   for editing   Wikipedia   articles about Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption of Belarus (GUBOPiK) has arrested Bernstein, according to Belarusian publication Zerkalo. The Verge reported that Bernstein's social media accounts, Wikipedia handle and place of work had been shared in GUBOPik's channel on the Telegram messaging app. A video of Bernstein's arrest was also posted, along with his photo and personal details. Bernstein is accused of "distributing fake anti-Russian information" in the photo. Bernstein is one of the top 50 editors of Russian Wikipedia. A Wikimedia Foundation spokesperson said: "The Foundation's Trust and Safety and Human Rights teams have been monitoring the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. "We are in close touch with our communities in the region to ensure their safety and respo...
Read more