UPDATE 9:30 p.m.
An 18-year-old man was charged with murder in Monday's killing of two teenagers at an alternative educational program for at-risk youth in Des Moines.
Police said Preston Walls of Des Moines is charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in the Monday shooting at Starts Right Here. Two teenagers — an 18-year-old male and a 16-year-old male — were killed in the attack.
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Police say two students were killed Monday and a teacher was injured in a shooting at a Des Moines school on the edge of the city’s downtown.
The shooting was at an educational program called Starts Right Here which 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.
Police say 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.
About 20 minutes after the shooting, police said officers stopped a car about two miles away and took “multiple suspects” into custody.
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,”
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. "My heart breaks for them, these kids and their families. Kevin and I are praying for their safe recovery.”
3 persons injured; 2 critically.
— Des Moines Police (@DMPolice) January 23, 2023
Officers have multiple potential suspects in custody.
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