DES MOINES, Iowa — One person is charged after allegedly firing a gun near the Knapp Center Saturday, Des Moines police said in a press release.
22 year-old Bradwick Michael Tukes is charged with:
- Going armed with intent (Class D Felony)
- Carrying weapons on school grounds (Class D Felony)
- Reckless use of a firearm (Simple Misdemeanor)
Officers were working a security and traffic control assignment outside the Roosevelt High School commencement ceremony when they heard multiple gunshots fired outside of the Knapp Center, located on Forest Avenue, at around 5:39 p.m. Saturday.
"I was in shock, because it wasn't as loud as I expected," said Scott Free, a parent attending the graduation ceremony. "Then when the crossfire started happening, I stepped out of the way luckily, because I was close enough to the firing."
Just minutes after gunfire rang out, police detained two people, one of whom was armed with a handgun. Police also found multiple shell casings and "other evidence indicative of gunfire", according to a press release. Later, a second handgun was found in a vehicle associated with one of the people who were detained.
According to a criminal complaint, Tukes brought three firearms onto school grounds, which he admitted to owning.
Tukes told detectives he thought there "could be problems" at the graduation, the criminal complaint reads.
The complaint also says a video recording was found on Tukes' phone showing him "antagonizing" another group near the location and time leading up to the shooting.
Des Moines police described a "chaotic scene" as individuals scattered when they heard gunshots.
"We had people outside that heard the gunfire, starts to run inside the building, we presume to seek shelter," Sgt. Paul Parizek told Local 5. "That got everybody chaotic inside the graduation ceremony."
"There was a lot of screaming, and people started running towards us, or like down towards the exits," said Ian Cohen, one of the graduates.
During the commotion, a physical fight broke out among multiple people inside the Knapp Center. Officers used pepper spray on the involved parties to end the fight.
A 17-year-old boy was detained and charged with disorderly conduct for his involvement in the fight inside the Knapp Center. However, the teen was found not to be directly involved in the shooting and was later released to a parent.
No one was injured as a result of gunfire. However, one woman was transported to a hospital with minor injuries after she was pushed to the ground while in the crowd.
Parizek credits the lack of more injuries to officers' quick response.
"If our officers hadn't been here to intervene at the time as fast as they did, with people running outside the building, we very easily could have had people injured," Parizek said.
Tukes' preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 5 and his bond is set at $25,000 cash.
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