Female Postal Worker Opens Fire at Des Moines Post Office, Two Wounded
DES MOINES, Iowa — A female postal employee opened fire inside the main United States Postal Service (USPS) office in Des Moines on Thursday morning, wounding two colleagues before being taken into custody, authorities said. The shooting prompted a massive police response and forced a nearby elementary school into a secure status.
Police began receiving reports of shots fired around 9 a.m. at the facility, located just north of downtown Des Moines and across the street from one of the city’s main hospitals. Officers from the Des Moines Police Department, Pleasant Hill Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa State Patrol responded to the scene, with some wearing tactical gear as they worked to secure the building. The shooter, a Postal Service employee, fired from the second floor of the post office, according to officials. She was taken into custody, and a large police presence remained at the scene as the investigation continued. The post office is closed.
Des Moines Public Schools said the district’s nearby elementary school, welcome center, and nutrition center went into a secure status after police notified the district of the shooting at 9 a.m. The secure status was later lifted, but the incident rattled the community. “I’m in contact with the Department of Public Safety regarding a shooting at the Main Post Office in Des Moines,” Governor Kim Reynolds said in a statement on Facebook. Other officials also expressed their concern. “My thoughts are with the Iowans affected by this senseless act of violence,” said Rob Sand on Facebook. Josh Turek said on X he is “Praying for everyone affected by this morning’s shooting at the Des Moines post office and for their families.”
The two wounded individuals were transported to a local hospital; their conditions have not been released. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet released a motive for the shooting. The main post office will remain closed until further notice. This is a developing story, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.
Shimanta Das 
