A late-afternoon argument in a Des Moines apartment parking lot ended in gunfire Friday, leaving a 24-year-old man shot in the neck and rushed to Seattle for trauma care, authorities said.
The shooting unfolded at the Wintergreen Apartments on South 220th Street. Officers were called to the complex at about 4:30 p.m., according to Des Moines police, but the suspected shooter had taken off before they arrived. The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Investigators described the case as active and believe the incident was isolated.
Police: Argument Led To Parking Lot Shooting
According to FOX 13 Seattle, officers learned the violence may have started as an argument between two men in the parking lot of the complex. At some point, shots were fired and the 24-year-old man was hit in the neck.
Police have not released an update on his condition. Officers searched the area after the shooting but did not find the suspect, and investigators reiterated that they are treating the incident as an active, yet isolated, case.
Detectives Ask Witnesses To Check Cameras, Call In Tips
Per the Des Moines Police Department, investigators are asking anyone who saw the confrontation or the shooting to contact them at (206) 878-3301.
They are also urging residents and businesses near South 220th Street to review doorbell, security and dash-camera footage from around 4:30 p.m. Friday and to report anything that might help piece together what happened in the lot.
Harborview Transfer Signals Serious Injury
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center, the region's only Level I adult and pediatric trauma center, which routinely treats the most critical gunshot cases from King County and beyond.
While police have not publicly shared the man’s current condition, the decision to transport him to Harborview underscores the severity of the neck wound, even as investigators continue to piece together why a parking lot argument turned into a near-fatal encounter.
