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Crime & Safety

Postal worker shoots two coworkers at Des Moines post office, police say

A third employee was hurt in a fall while trying to escape, and police say none of the injuries is believed life-threatening.

10 news outlets reported this
Liberal3 outletsthe shooting, the arrest and police's accountCenter3 outletspolice timeline, victims and wider officials' responseConservative4 outletspolice response, injuries and agencies on scene
Published 3 min read
Overview

On Thursday, Nov. 5, a woman who works for the US Postal Service opened fire inside the main post office in Des Moines, Iowa, authorities said. Two co-workers were shot. According to the Associated Press, a third employee was hurt in a fall while trying to escape.

Police do not believe any of the injuries are life-threatening. Sgt. Paul Parizek said of the victims, "They're all at the hospital." The AP reports all three are in stable condition.

The AP says the gunfire came on the second floor, in a section the public cannot enter, and that witnesses reported 10 to 12 shots. The AP reports that calls began around 9:10 a.m., that Parizek said officers responded within three minutes, and that the suspect was detained at 9:21 a.m. along a nearby bike path, without resistance. The AP says she is 39 and a 9 mm handgun was found where she was held.

Police have not named her or given a motive. The US Postal Inspection Service says it is investigating with local, state and federal law enforcement. Fox News reports that the ATF and also responded.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said she was in touch with the state's Department of Public Safety. Nearby schools temporarily barred people from entering or leaving until police said the suspect was in custody.

Key figures

Three sides of the story

Liberal3 outlets

the shooting, the arrest and police's account

The Boston Globe runs the Associated Press report under the headline "Postal employee shot 2 coworkers at an Iowa post office before being captured, police say." It opens with a female postal worker shooting two fellow employees and adds that a third was hurt in a fall. It quotes Sgt. Paul Parizek on the victims: "They are being cared for right now."

The Independent leads with a "female postal employee" who "opens fire" and injures three. It relies on the Des Moines Register for the arrest by patrol officers on a bike trail, with witnesses pointing out the suspect. It notes police have identified no motive and lists the agencies that responded.

The New York Times headline says three were injured in a shooting at the post office, and the paper reports that a woman who works there was taken into custody. The Globe and The Independent both include Gov. Kim Reynolds's statement.

Center3 outlets

police timeline, victims and wider officials' response

The Seattle Times runs the Associated Press report. It says the 39-year-old suspect was caught along a bike path, a 9 mm handgun was recovered, and the victims are two women and a man. It closes with past postal shootings, including Edmond, Oklahoma, in 1986, and a 2000 study of workplace violence that called "going postal" a myth.

UPI's headline reads "3 hurt, suspect in custody." It quotes Sgt. Paul Parizek on the calls reporting shots on the second floor and gives the address. It also quotes Governor-elect Rob Sand, who called the shooting a "senseless act of violence," and outgoing Gov. Kim Reynolds.

NewsNation's headline says multiple people were injured and a suspect was detained. It adds that police say the suspect is a woman who was a Postal Service employee.

Conservative4 outlets

police response, injuries and agencies on scene

Fox News leads with police saying three were injured and a suspect is in custody. It adds that the ATF and FBI responded and quotes ATF Kansas City and Rep. Zach Nunn. It says the motive was not immediately clear.

Breitbart News, citing the Des Moines Register and We Are Iowa, quotes Sgt. Paul Parizek: "I didn't see anything that indicated anyone had any life-threatening injuries." The New York Post says the initial call was for an "active killer." It reports that onlookers pointed police to the attacker and that a hospital and schools were locked down for at least an hour.

The Daily Wire's "Gunman Opens Fire At Iowa Post Office" calls itself a developing story. It cites KCCI saying the victims' injuries were believed to be life-threatening, and quotes Nunn and Gov. Kim Reynolds.

All sources: 10 articles from 10 outlets

Liberal (3)

Center (3)

Conservative (4)

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