DES MOINES, Iowa — Starts Right Here founder Will Keeps took to Facebook to share a message about the Monday, Jan, 23 shooting and his current recovery.
His Friday post reads in part:
"I just want to let everybody know that I'm getting better! 1st I want to give thanks to my wife and my kids for just loving me like crazy and being there. They made me feel whole even though I was broken!"
Two students died and two teenagers were arrested following the shooting that afternoon. Keeps was hospitalized, underwent surgery and is now recovering from his gunshot wounds.
In the video, Keeps mentioned that he lost three people who were like sons to him due to the shooting.
"I had no idea that it was going to turn into a crazy day. I had three sons - in my eyes, they was like sons to me - lose their lives. We saw all the success when it came to do these kids, all the growth, and it was just taken away because of outside street mentality," he said.
He emphasized that shootings like the one at the Des Moines education center are a recurring problem: "I'm not going to sit up here and ignore the fact that we're killing each other."
Keeps founded Starts Right Here after his own involvement in a Chicago gang at 15-years-old. After moving to Des Moines and setting his mind on preventing youth violence, Keeps and others formed the community outreach program in 2021.
"I'm banged up a little bit. A little bit emotional. This will not shut down nothing. This just made me madder," he said.
Keeps said that people have told him they were hesitant to donate to Starts Right Here due to Gov. Kim Reynolds' position on its advisory board.
"You decide to delay or put a pause on progress because of politics? We ain't got time for that. Our kids are literally losing their lives, out here homeless, being trafficked, going to jail, getting caught up in being an alcoholic, not want[ing] to thrive — they just want to survive," he said.
The organization also partners with Des Moines Public Schools and Des Moines Police, who shared his video shortly after it was posted Friday.
Watch the full video below: