Double Murder Stuns Des Moines Neighborhood Residents

A shooting that left two people dead and two others hurt has stunned residents of a Merle Hay Neighborhood.

Police were called to a shooting at a detached garage at 2702 51st street around 4:00 p.m. Wednesday. It was there that they found a 28 and 21 year man had already been shot to death and a third person suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. 

WHO-TV 13 reports a blood trail led investigators to a fourth victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg five blocks away near the First Assembly of God church. "This is gonna be an active scene for us well through night," Sergeant Paul Parizek told WHO-TV 13.

Police say the wounded men are 31 and 26 years old and are expected to survive.

For residents like Ryan Smithman the violence near his home is a nightmare. "Four people shot two people dead, five houses away from where you live, it's frightening," Smithman told WHO-TV 13.

As of 9:00 Wednesday night no arrests had been made but police believe the threat was limited to the original crime scene. "It looks like whatever happened here happened in this location. It was centralized here and the people here were the ones involved so I think we have everyone accounted for right now that may be involved at this moment," Parizek says.

It is certainly a moment that has left Smithman and his neighbors seeing life a bit differently. "If it can happen five houses away from where you live and what you thought was a safe neighborhood, hopefully this was an isolated incident, I still believe this is a safe neighborhood but it absolutely can happen anywhere at any time," Smithman says.

(Photo: WHO-TV 13)


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