Postal worker shot 2 coworkers at Des Moines post office, police say

USA Today · , USA TODAY · 2026-11-05 17:00 UTC

A Des Moines postal employee faces attempted murder charges after police said she shot two coworkers at a post office.

DES MOINES, IA – A U.S. Postal Service employee faces attempted murder charges after authorities said she shot two coworkers at a Des Moines post office on Nov. 5 before fleeing and being captured nearby minutes later.

Jennifer Pledger, 39, was charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of willful injury causing serious injury and one count of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, according to the Des Moines Police Department. She was arrested without incident after the shooting was reported at the city's main post office, and she was being held in the Polk County Jail.

Police were called to the post office around 9:10 a.m. local time after reports of a shooting on the building's second floor, an area that is not open to the public. Des Moines police spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek said employees reported an "active killer" inside the building, and officers arrived within about three minutes.

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