Pledger charged with attempted murder after Des Moines post office shooting
Police report that ten shots were fired inside the facility on Thursday morning before the suspect was detained on a nearby path.
By Daniela Ortega ·
Ten shots rang out inside the main post office in Des Moines on Thursday morning, according to local police. The gunfire occurred on the second floor of the facility, an area where the general public does not have access. Witnesses inside the building reported hearing between ten and twelve distinct shots during the incident.
Jennifer Christine Pledger, 39, of West Des Moines, is the employee identified by authorities as the shooter. Police said she stood over one female colleague after the initial shots and fired again. She then moved through the building, continuing to fire her weapon as she left the structure. A male employee was injured while trying to escape the scene. He fell during his exit from the building.
Officers arrived at the location three minutes after the first calls came in. Pledger was found along a bike path near the post office. She did not resist when officers took her into custody. Police recovered a 9 mm handgun at the site where she was detained. The timeline of the event shows that calls began coming in around 9:10 a.m. Pledger was in police hands by 9:21 a.m.
Three employees were taken to a hospital across the street from the post office. The victims include two women, aged 45 and 53, and a man, 55. Sergeant Paul Parizek of the Des Moines police said all three were in stable condition. None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening, according to the department's initial assessment.
Pledger faces two counts of attempted murder for the shooting. She also faces two counts of willful injury causing serious injury and one count of intimidation. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service confirmed via email that it is investigating the matter. They are working alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in the case.
Governor Kim Reynolds stated she is in contact with the Department of Public Safety. She posted online that her office is monitoring the situation. Reynolds expressed gratitude for the immediate response by law enforcement personnel. Des Moines Public Schools temporarily restricted entry and exit at a nearby elementary school. Those restrictions were lifted once police confirmed the suspect was in custody.
The facility is located just north of downtown Des Moines. Historical data shows that workplace violence has occurred at postal facilities before. A 2000 study commissioned by postal officials examined these incidents. The report found that postal employees are less violent than the national workforce. It also concluded that the phrase "going postal" was a myth. Other notable incidents include a 2006 shooting in Goleta, California, where six workers were killed.
