BY SCOTT MCFETRIDGE
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two students were killed Monday and
a teacher was injured in what police said was a targeted shooting at a Des
Moines school that is dedicated to helping at-risk youth, and three suspects
were arrested afterward.
The shooting was at an educational program called Starts
Right Here that is affiliated with the
Police say emergency crews were called to the school, which
is in a business park, just before
About 20 minutes after the shooting, police said officers
stopped a car that matched witnesses’ descriptions about two miles away and
took three suspects into custody. Police said one of the suspects ran from the
car, but officers using a K-9 were able to track that person down.
“The incident was definitely targeted. It was not random.
There was nothing random about this,” Sgt. Paul Parizek said.
The Starts Right Here program, which helps at-risk youth in
grades 9-12, was founded by Will Holmes, a rapper whose stage name is Will
Keeps. He didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment Monday.
EDUCATION
School hopes lights can finally shut off after costly glitch
Hazing suit at
Saturday’s Scores
“The school is designed to pick up the slack and help the
kids who need help the most,” Parizek said.
The Greater Des Moines Partnership, the economic and
community development organization for the region, says on its website that
Keeps came to Des Moines about 20 years ago from Chicago, where he “lived in a
world of gangs and violence” before finding healing through music.
The partnership said the Starts Right Here movement “seeks
to encourage and educate young people living in disadvantaged and oppressive
circumstances using the arts, entertainment, music, hip hop and other programs.
It also teaches financial literacy and helps students prepare for job
interviews and improve their communication skills. The ultimate goal is to
break down barriers of fear, intimidation and other damaging factors leading to
a sense of being disenfranchised, forgotten and rejected.” The school’s website
says 70% of the students it serves are minorities.
Gov. Kim Reynolds, who serves on an advisory board for
Starts Right Here, said she was “shocked and saddened to hear about the
shooting.” Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert is on the Starts Right Here
board.
“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 in a statement. “My heart breaks for them,
these kids and their families. Kevin and I are praying for their safe
recovery.”
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