On Monday, in Des Moines, Iowa, a drive-by shooting outside of a high school left one teenager dead and two others in the hospital with serious injuries, police reported.
Police were notified of multiple gunshots being heard outside East High School on Monday at about 2:45 p.m. When they arrived, officers reported finding three victims outside the school.
All three were rushed to the hospital immediately, the Des Moines Police Department reported in a press release.
The first victim and intended target of the shooting, according to police, was a 15-year-old boy who did not go to the school.
The other victims were two female students, who are still hospitalized, a 16-year-old in serious condition and an 18-year-old in critical condition, police shared.
Since the shooting, six teenagers have been arrested and charged with murder for the shooting, which came from multiple vehicles, police said.
In a news release, the Des Moines Police department shared that detectives had carried out five residential and six vehicle search warrants.
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The searches resulted in six firearms being recovered and the six teenagers, between the ages of 14 and 17, being charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder, police said.
After the shooting, the school went into an immediate lockdown for more than 40 minutes.
In a statement, the school's principal Jill Versteeg said how heart-wrenching the tragedy is.
"I think we can all agree an event like this is everyone's worst nightmare," Versteeg said. "Tonight, hug your students and love them."
District Superintendent Thomas Ahart added shootings near schools have "become too common."
"Our staff and students are forced to train for these incidents and the trauma associated with the repeated drills and incidents will remain with them for years to come," Ahart said. "It's unfortunate that our state and our country have become a place where firearms are far too easily accessible. We remain committed to protecting our students and staff, but real change to gun laws and access would go a long way to help us."
Class was canceled at the high school on Tuesday.
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