DES MOINES – It was a chaotic morning for neighbors living on the city’s east side.
“My dogs woke me up,” says Dennis Rupe of Des Moines. “They were barking something fearless so I had to get up and look. Next thing you know, I heard a lot or screaming and yelling. Next thing you know them police are coming like crazy.”
Police were called to the 1800 block of Easton Blvd. around 3 a.m. When officers arrived, they found two men had been shot.
“At some point in the evening there was a dispute between some folks,” said Des Moines police Sgt. Paul Parizek. “I don’t know what started the fight, we haven’t got that information just yet. But as a result of that, there were two people were shot and killed.”
26-year-old Darnell Lee was already dead when medics got to him. 30-year-old Jason Smith was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Juana Gonzaelz lives a few blocks from where the shooting took place. She was getting ready for work when she heard the gunshots. Something she has never heard this close to home.
“I was getting ready when I just heard a couple of gun sound sounds and I automatically went to check on my son,” said Gonzaelz. “He didn’t wake up or anything. Something that you never expect, especially in a small town. Violence is rising up.”
Saturday’s deadly shooting mark the 17th and 18th homicides of 2017. Police say these numbers are frightening.
