East High School shooting

On March 7, 2022, after 2:40 pm, a shooting occurred within the vicinity of East High School in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S, right before school was being dismissed for the day. At least 35 gunshots being fired out of at least three vehicles.

One 15-year-old boy was killed, and two female students were critically wounded. By the next few hours, six teenage males were arrested, ranging from ages 14 to 17, and charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder: four charged in adult court, and two in juvenile court.[1][2]

The shooting was described by police as having gang overtones.

Shooting

Around 2:40 p.m., neighborhood camera footage captured the shooting. Footage showed a group of five teenagers gathering near a curb when three vehicles passed by. The vehicles suddenly returned, with the occupants inside firing multiple shots at the group. Multiple 911 calls were then made at approximately 2:50 p.m.[3]

Investigators recovered about 20 spent shell casings at the shooting site and found another 15 in the vehicles that the Des Moines Police Department said were used in the shooting.[4]

Investigation

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) of Kansas City arrived on the scene and provided assistance in the investigation. Other agencies assisting with the investigation included: the Iowa State Patrol (ISP), the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and the Des Moines Public Schools Department of Public Safety.[5] Multiple search warrants were executed, and six guns were recovered.[6]

Victims

The victim killed was Jose David Lopez, a 15-year-old non-student of the school. He was a student of another Des Moines high school who was visiting the campus. Police say he was the intended target of the shooting, with the two female victims not intended targets, aged 16 and 18. The two female victims were both shot in the head and critically injured, and were students at the school.[7] In a late March 2022 article by 12NewsNow, an 18-year-old victim (Kemery Ortega) hit in the head with a bullet was making a recovery, and was planning on leaving the hospital soon. She however still may have fragments or much of the bullet still lodged in her skull. The other girl wounded was also still critically injured as of late March but was on the mend.[8]

Aftermath

U.S. President Joe Biden released a statement regarding the shooting and the greater violence issue in American society.[9]

The following people have been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in the shooting: 17-year-old Octavio Lopez, a 14-year-old male juvenile, 16-year-old Manuel Buezo, 16-year-old Romero Perdomo, a 15-year-old male juvenile, and 17-year-old Henry Valladares-Amaya. The four suspects over sixteen are, by default, charged with murder and attempted murder in adult court, whereas the younger juvenile suspects are initially being charged in juvenile court.

The six suspects are due in court April 22.

References
  1. Sahouri, Andrea May (March 8, 2022). "Victim identified, 6 teens charged with murder in fatal shooting outside East High School". Tennessean.com/Des Moines Register.
  2. "Teenager dead, two in critical condition after shooting outside Iowa high school -police". Reuters. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
  3. Beck, Margery A.; Mcfetridge, Scott (March 8, 2022). "6 teens arrested in Iowa school shooting that killed 1". CTV News via Associated Press.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Morris, William (March 10, 2022). "Four teenaged suspects in Monday's fatal East High Shooting ordered, held on $1.05 million bond". Des Moines Register.
  5. Amir Vera, Joe Sutton and Jenn Selva. "Des Moines, Iowa school shooting". CNN.
  6. "East High School shooting, Des Moines". New York Times.
  7. Hutchinson, Bill (March 8, 2022). "Multiple shot at Des Moines, Iowa high school". ABC News.
  8. "Kemery Ortega, East High School shooting victim returns home, recovering". KBMT-LD.
  9. "Statement by Joe Biden about shooting at East High School". WhiteHouse.gov.
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