Who is Jennifer Christine Pledger? 39-year-old US Postal Service employee charged with attempted murder after shooting two colleagues at Des Moines post office

Three US Postal Service staffers were wounded when one of their colleagues opened fire inside a post office in Des Moines on Thursday morning (Nov. 5), the authorities said, adding the suspect had been taken into custody. The shooting occurred on the second floor of the city’s downtown post office on Second Avenue, the Des Moines Police Department said in a statement, according to The New York Times (NYT).

Two of the injured suffered gunshot wounds, while the third person was was injured in a fall during the shooting, the police said. They were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The injured victims were identified as two women, aged 45 and 53, and a man aged 55, according to the NYT.

What do we know about the suspect?

The suspect has been identified as Jennifer Christine Pledger, a 39-year-old resident of Des Moines and an employee at the post office. She was detained after a witness pointed her out to the police as she left the building, Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines Police Department said, according to the NYT.

Pledger was located by officials near a bike trail under the University Avenue Des Moines River bridge, according to the People magazine.

She has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of willful injury causing serious injury, and one count of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, CNN reported citing the police.

Evidence and witness statements collected by the police suggested that Pledger fired 10 to 12 shots on the second floor of the building, which is not accessible to the public, NYT reported citing Parizek.

Pledger was booked into the Polk County Jail without bail, as per the CNN report. Her motive behind the assault has not been revealed by the authorities.

Multiple agencies investigating incident

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) joined the investigation led by the Des Moines police, with officials recovering a 9 mm handgun at the scene, NYT and CNN reported.

The post office is located just north of downtown Des Moines, about one mile from the state's Capitol building.