Police say a 39-year-old postal worker shot two coworkers in Iowa, then stood over one woman and fired again

A routine Thursday morning at the main post office in Iowa’s capital turned into a crime scene within minutes. Police say a postal employee opened fire on her coworkers inside the Des Moines building, shooting two women before she was captured nearby, according to the Associated Press. The suspect now faces attempted murder charges.

Police identified the suspect as Jennifer Christine Pledger, 39, of West Des Moines. She is charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of willful injury causing serious injury, and intimidation. The shooting happened on the second floor of the post office, in an area not open to the public, and police said Pledger stood over one woman she had shot and fired again.

The two women who were shot are 45 and 53 years old. A 55-year-old male employee was hurt in a fall while trying to escape. All three were taken to the hospital in stable condition, and police said none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening. Witnesses reported hearing 10 to 12 shots, and police said Pledger kept firing as she fled the building.

Police say officers caught the suspect within minutes on a bike path

Calls about the shooting began coming in around 9:10 a.m., according to Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek. Officers arrived within about three minutes and detained Pledger at 9:21 a.m. along a nearby bike path, where she did not resist. Police said they recovered a 9 mm handgun at the spot where she was taken into custody.

“They’re all at the hospital. They are being cared for right now,” Parizek said of the three victims. The post office sits just north of downtown, across the street from one of the city’s main hospitals. Investigators have not said what may have led to the shooting. No attorney who could speak on Pledger’s behalf had been identified, as attempts to reach possible relatives were also unsuccessful.

The president of the local American Postal Workers Union, Mike Bates, said the shooting broke out during a morning meeting of about 20 to 30 employees. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service said it is investigating alongside local, state and federal law enforcement. However, officials have not released the victims’ names or said whether Pledger had any prior conflicts with the women.

The shooting also disrupted the surrounding area. Des Moines Public Schools temporarily barred anyone from entering or leaving a nearby elementary school, its welcome center and its nutrition center. The restrictions were lifted at 10 a.m., as police had by then told the district that a suspect was in custody.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she was in contact with the Department of Public Safety. In a post on X, she wrote that “our prayers are with everyone involved” and thanked law enforcement for its quick response. Pledger’s charges come about a month after police said an Iowa man fired at drivers on I-35, another case that ended in multiple attempted murder counts.

Shootings at postal facilities have drawn national attention for decades, including a 1986 attack in Edmond, Oklahoma, where a postal worker killed 14 coworkers. However, a study commissioned by postal officials in 2000 concluded that “going postal” was a myth and that postal employees are less violent than the national workforce.

Pledger is expected to make her first court appearance in Polk County, where prosecutors will likely seek to keep her in custody while the investigation continues.