A U.S. Postal Service employee is facing attempted murder charges after allegedly opening fire on her coworkers inside an Iowa post office, shooting two women and injuring another employee as workers desperately fled the building.
Jennifer Christine Pledger, 39, of West Des Moines, was arrested Thursday, November 5, following the frightening shooting at the main post office in Des Moines, where witnesses reported hearing as many as 12 gunshots during the morning workday.
According to police, the violence erupted around 9:10 a.m. on the second floor of the facility at 1165 Second Avenue, an area reserved for postal employees and closed to the general public.
Investigators say Pledger approached a group of coworkers and suddenly began firing a handgun, striking a woman who collapsed to the floor.
But the attack allegedly did not stop there.
According to police, Pledger walked toward the wounded employee, stood over her and fired additional shots before turning the weapon toward other workers who were scrambling to escape.
The terrifying encounter left two female employees, ages 45 and 53, suffering from gunshot wounds. A third employee, a 55-year-old man, was injured when he fell while fleeing the violence.
Emergency calls flooded into 911 as frightened workers tried to get away from the gunfire.
Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said the first officer arrived within approximately three minutes of the initial emergency call, triggering a massive response involving local police and federal authorities.
By the time officers reached the building, however, the suspected shooter had already fled.
Investigators quickly began searching the surrounding area and located Pledger near a bicycle trail beneath the University Avenue bridge over the Des Moines River, just a short distance from the post office.
She was arrested without incident around 9:21 a.m., approximately 11 minutes after the first emergency calls.
Officers recovered a 9mm handgun believed to have been used in the shooting.
Despite the frightening circumstances, police later delivered encouraging news about the three injured employees.
Both women who had been shot were able to get themselves to MercyOne Medical Center for treatment, while a police officer transported the injured man to the hospital.
All three were listed in stable condition, and authorities said their injuries were not expected to be life-threatening.
“At this time, everybody is in stable condition. We’re expecting everybody to pull through,” Parizek said during a news conference.
The shooting also triggered emergency security measures throughout the surrounding neighborhood.
MercyOne Medical Center, located across the street from the postal facility, temporarily restricted access to its emergency department as police responded.
Several nearby Des Moines Public Schools buildings were also placed under heightened security precautions until authorities confirmed that the suspect had been apprehended.
Investigators have not established what prompted the gunfire.
Pledger, who worked at the same postal facility as the victims, has not provided police with an explanation for the alleged attack.
Authorities said there was no evidence suggesting the shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute, although investigators continue examining possible workplace-related circumstances.
During a Friday, November 6, update, police confirmed that they had executed a search warrant at a residence in West Des Moines and recovered additional evidence connected to the case.
Officials declined to describe the items seized or explain whether they could help establish a motive.
Pledger has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of willful injury causing serious injury and one count of intimidation with a dangerous weapon.
She was booked into the Polk County Jail, where she was being held without bond.
The Des Moines Police Department is leading the investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The shooting has shaken employees at the federal facility, where an ordinary morning shift suddenly became a chaotic emergency.
Authorities said the violence was confined to an employee-only area and that no members of the public were injured.
As investigators work to determine why a postal employee allegedly turned a gun on her own coworkers, the three victims are expected to recover from their injuries.
Pledger has not been convicted, and the charges against her remain allegations as the criminal case moves forward.
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