15-Year-Old Dead In Shooting Outside Des Moines High School

DES MOINES, IA — One teenager is dead and two more are hospitalized after a shooting Monday afternoon at East High School in Des Moines, police said.

The three victims were taken by Des Moines Fire Department medics to local hospitals, where one later died. The other two remain hospitalized, a Des Moines Police Department spokesperson said.

The deceased victim was a 15-year-old boy who was not a student at East High School. The other two victims, a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old girl, are East High students, police said in an update Monday night.

The shooting occurred just before 3 p.m. on the school grounds, and it is believed the shots came from a passing car, police said.

Des Moines police arrested potential suspects, but no charges have been filed yet, the DMPD spokesperson said. Police found shell casings near the school.

Video from WHO-TV anchor Justin Surrency shows a large area in the neighborhood near the school cordoned off with police tape, as well as an abundance of police cars and a fire truck at the scene.

The school was put on lockdown until the police gave an all-clear about 3:30 p.m., and students have been let out of school, according to Des Moines Public Schools.

Classes will not be held Tuesday at East High School, but the Des Moines Police Department grief team will be available for students and staff for the rest of the week. School counselors also will be available for students who need support, according to the school district. Parent-teacher conferences are postponed, and the ACT for East High School students will be moved to March 29.

"We live in an era when shootings in and near schools have become too common," Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Ahart said in a statement. "Our staff and students are forced to train for these incidents, and the trauma associated with the repeated drills and incidents will remain with them for years to come. It’s unfortunate that our state and our country have become a place where firearms are far too easily accessible. We remain committed to protecting our students and staff, but real change to gun laws and access would go a long way to help us."

Kansas City Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms officers are assisting the Des Moines Police Department with the investigation, the agency said. Other agencies involved in the investigation include Iowa State Patrol, the Polk County Sheriff's Office, FBI and the Des Moines Public Schools Department of Public Safety, authorities said.

Southbound lanes on East 14th Street/Highway 69 were closed starting at East University Avenue as Des Moines police investigated the shooting, according to authorities.

East High School is about 1.5 miles northeast of downtown Des Moines. Inclement weather and poor road conditions led to a two-hour late start for Des Moines Public Schools on Monday, with high schools starting at 10:25 a.m.