Three people were injured Thursday morning in a shooting inside the main post office in Des Moines, Iowa, and the suspected shooter is in custody, according to the Des Moines Police Department, as reported by KCCI.
Police said the first calls came in around 9:10 a.m. from inside the Main Post Office at 1165 2nd Ave., and that the shooting took place on the second floor of the facility, KCCI reported. All three victims were taken to local hospitals with injuries that police said are not believed to be life-threatening, according to KCCI.
BREAKING: Several people are injured after a shooting at a Des Moines post office, police say. pic.twitter.com/0qh73axu0K
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 5, 2026
Suspect Detained, Investigation Ongoing
The Des Moines Police Department said a multi-agency operation responded to the scene at 1165 Second Ave., and officials urged people to stay away from the area around Second and University avenues while officers secured the site, according to The Independent. CNN reported that three people were hospitalized and that a suspect is in custody.
Police have not publicly identified the suspect, described a motive, or announced any charges as of Thursday morning, and investigators have not said what kind of weapon was used.
Second Avenue was closed in both directions while the investigation continued, with drivers directed to East 14th Street or 6th Avenue, according to KCCI.
Nearby Schools Briefly Secured
Des Moines Public Schools said in a Facebook post that police notified district staff of the shooting around 9:20 a.m., and that nearby Carver Elementary School, the district’s Welcome Center and its Central Nutrition Center went into “Secure” status, meaning no one was allowed in or out, according to KCCI. The district said police reported having the suspect in custody nearby at 9:30 a.m., and the Secure status was lifted at 10 a.m., KCCI reported.
Iowa Leaders Thank First Responders
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a post on X that she is in contact with the Iowa Department of Public Safety. “The suspected shooter is in custody and the investigation is ongoing. We are monitoring the situation and our prayers are with everyone involved,” Reynolds wrote, adding that she was grateful for the immediate response by law enforcement.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a post on X that he was grateful to law enforcement and first responders “who acted quickly” to detain the shooter and treat the injured, and that he and his wife, Barbara, are praying for those affected. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, said in a post on X that he is “closely monitoring” the situation and thanked the officers and first responders on the scene.
The post office is a federal facility operated by the U.S. Postal Service. Police said the investigation is ongoing, and Daily Beltway will update this story as officials release more information.
Sources
Sources cited
Sources
- Original post: Breaking911 (@Breaking911) on X, Nov 5, 2026
Posts on X are shown as published by their authors; claims in them are attributed, not independently confirmed unless the article says so. If an embedded post does not load, these links open the originals.