According to police, three people were initially hospitalized in critical condition following the East High School shooting, but one victim later died, KCCI-TV reported.
Ahman Douglass, a spokesperson with the Des Moines Fire Department, confirmed to the Des Moines Register that a 15-year-old boy did not survive his injuries. Douglass identified the other two victims, who remained in critical condition just after 6 p.m. EST, as a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old girl.
Police confirmed to KCCI-TV that the shooting happened outside of the school just before 3 p.m. but still took place on school grounds. The gunfire appears to have originated from a passing vehicle, police said.
No other injuries have been reported and police said they do not believe there is a continued threat to the public, the TV station reported.
Meanwhile, Sgt. Paul Parizek with the Des Moines Police Department confirmed to KCCI-TV that “potential suspects” have been detained in the shooting, but no charges have been filed.
“We’ve got some potential suspects detained. That will be a piece that moves through the night that we’re going to have to be working on,” Parizek told the TV station.
“The kids in that school are our community’s most precious cargo. So, the medics and the firefighters did an outstanding job getting up here. You know, it’s sad. We do train for this. We have to be prepared for it, and this is why,” he added.