18-year-old charged with murder in Des Moines education program shooting; two suspects remain in custody

A Des Moines 18-year-old was charged with murder for allegedly killing two teenagers at the Starts Right Here mentorship program on Monday over an alleged gang dispute and injuring the program's founder.

Preston M. Walls was arrested Monday and charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of criminal gang participation, according to a Des Moines Police Department news release. Charging documents were not immediately available online.

More:Police make arrest in Des Moines shooting that left 2 students dead, founder seriously injured

Walls is accused of killing a 16-year-old and an 18-year-old. Sgt. Paul Parizek, a spokesperson for the department, told the Register that evidence shows all were students of the program. William Holmes, the leader of the program who is also known as Will Keeps, remains hospitalized in serious condition.

Two more suspects remain in police custody.

According to the release, Walls walked into a common area of Starts Right Here, a mentorship program for at-risk youth, with a 9 mm handgun that had an extended ammunition magazine. Holmes tried to escort Walls from the area, but Walls pulled away, and began to shoot the two teenagers. Holmes, who was standing nearby, was also shot.

Police later stopped a vehicle that left the scene of the shooting, and Walls fled from the vehicle before police found him a short time later and took him into custody without incident, the release said.

Police allege that the incident sprung from a dispute between opposing gangs.

Walls has faced previous charges related to drug and weapon possession, according to court records. The release said that Walls removed a GPS ankle monitor, part of a pre-trial release condition from a weapons charge, 16 minutes before the shooting

Further information was not immediately available.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 18-year-old charged with murder in Des Moines education program shooting

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