A postal worker in Des Moines is facing attempted-murder charges after police say she opened fire on two co-workers inside a U.S. Postal Service facility — then stood over one wounded woman and fired again.
Jennifer Christine Pledger, 39, was captured nearby within minutes, authorities said. The two women who were shot and a male employee hurt while escaping were all reported in stable condition with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
The details released by police are chilling.
According to the Associated Press, officers began receiving 911 calls at about 9:10 a.m. Thursday after gunfire erupted on the second floor of the main post office in Iowa’s capital. Witnesses reported hearing roughly 10 to 12 shots in an employee area that was not open to the public.
Police said Pledger shot two female colleagues, ages 45 and 53, stood over one of the wounded women and fired again, and kept shooting as she fled. A 55-year-old male employee was injured in a fall while trying to get away.
Des Moines police said the first officers reached the facility in about three minutes. Pledger was detained at 9:21 a.m. along a nearby bike path, less than a half-mile away, without resistance.
Investigators said a 9mm handgun was recovered where she was taken into custody. No motive has been announced.
The federal response was immediate, too. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service joined local, state and federal authorities in the investigation, while ATF agents publicly confirmed they were assisting law enforcement at the scene.
KCCI reported that the shooting unfolded at the USPS processing and distribution plant at 1165 Second Avenue during the morning workday. The two women who were shot took themselves to nearby MercyOne Medical Center, while a Des Moines officer transported the male employee who was hurt in the escape.
Police assistance came from multiple local agencies, the Iowa State Patrol, the FBI, ATF and U.S. Postal Inspectors. Authorities temporarily placed nearby Carver Elementary School and two district facilities into a secure status until police confirmed the suspect was in custody.
Pledger is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of willful injury causing serious injury and one count of intimidation, according to authorities. Those are charges, not convictions, and the case will now move through the courts.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she was in contact with the state Department of Public Safety and thanked law enforcement for its immediate response.
That rapid response matters. From the first emergency call to the suspect’s detention, police say only about 11 minutes passed — and a workplace attack that could have become even worse was stopped before any lives were lost.
Three people still went to the hospital after what should have been an ordinary morning at work. Now investigators have the harder task of determining why it happened and building a case that answers for every shot fired.
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[ H/T WLT Report ]
