DES MOINES, Wash. — Police in Des Moines are searching for a shooter who killed a 31-year-old man in the downtown area early Sunday morning.
The shooting occurred shortly before 2 a.m. near Marine View Drive as nearby bars were closing.
According to police, an argument broke out between the victim and another individual before the victim was chased into a nearby parking lot and shot. The victim died at the scene, and the gunman ran away.
Friends say the victim was a youth football coach and a father of two young children. He was in the area celebrating his daughter’s birthday over the weekend and had been seen inside local bars earlier in the night.
The identity of the shooter and the motive for the shooting remain unclear, police said.
In the wake of the shooting, community members established a growing memorial filled with candles and flowers near the scene along Marine View Drive.
Jason Bliss, who works nearby, reflected on the impact of the shooting on the neighborhood. “So sad first, just, you know, tremendous sadness and then also a little bit of fear just cause it’s so close to home; it happened just down the street,” Bliss said.
Following the incident, police announced plans to increase patrols in the area, particularly during night hours.
Holly Shaw, who also works nearby, expressed support for the added police presence in the business district. “Oh, definitely, we need that here,” Shaw said. “We wanna keep it safe and family-friendly for sure.”
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