Two Students Dead After Shooting in Des Moines
**UPDATE** All further updates can be found here.
Unfortunately, CBS News reports two of the victims have died at the hospital.
Senator Chuck Grassley expressed his thoughts on Twitter.
ORIGINAL STORY
It's the most frightening thing imaginable for anyone with a child or children in school, the news of a school shooting. Unfortunately, that's the news coming from Iowa's capital city today.
School shooting rattles Des Moines
News broke this afternoon that there was a shooting at the Starts Right Here charter school located on Southwest 5th St. in Des Moines. As of this writing, it appears that three people were injured in this shooting.
KCRG reports the shooting happened just before 1 pm this afternoon. Of the three that were shot, two victims were taken to the hospital with critical injuries. A third person was also transported to the hospital but is in stable condition.
KCCI reporter James Stratton was on the scene, and offered updates via his Twitter - these Tweets can be seen below.
Starts Right Here identifies itself as a school for at-risk youth. Their website states,
Starts Right Here educates, equips, and empowers young people living in disadvantaged and oppressive circumstances using the arts, entertainment, hip hop, music, programs, and a variety of other methods to break down the barriers of fear, intimidation, and other damaging factors leading to a sense of being disenfranchised, forgotten and rejected.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynold released a statement to the media, including this radio station, a short time ago expressing sadness and disbelief,
I am shocked and saddened to hear about the shooting at Starts Right Here. I’ve seen first-hand how hard Will Keeps and his staff works to help at-risk kids through this alternative education program. My heart breaks for them, these kids and their families. Kevin and I are praying for their safe recovery.
Will Holmes, a rapper whose stage name is Will Keeps (as referenced by Gov. Reynolds), is the SRH President, according to the Starts Right Here website.
The ages of the injured, and any information about the shooter are unknown at this time. Two individuals have been detained, but police have yet to say if they have been connected to the shooting.
We will provide more information as it is made available to the media.
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