DES MOINES, IA — McKinley Elementary School was placed on secure status for about 90 minutes Friday afternoon after police said a suspect in a stolen car crashed nearby and fled on foot. Des Moines Public Schools said no one was allowed to enter or leave the building during the precautionary hold, but students stayed in class and school operations continued normally inside.
The secure status was lifted around 2:30 p.m., and dismissal was set to go ahead at the regular time Friday afternoon. Police continued searching the neighborhood for the suspect after the crash. Officials said the incident began with a vehicle pursuit and ended when the stolen car struck a pole near the school.
Police say chase ended at SE 4th Street and Hartford Avenue
Des Moines police spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek said the suspect was driving a stolen vehicle when officers pursued it through the area. The chase ended when the car crashed into a pole at SE 4th Street and Hartford Avenue, not far from McKinley Elementary.
After the crash, police said the suspect ran toward the school area. That prompted the district to lock down access to the building while officers worked nearby. The school’s secure status was a temporary safety measure, not a closure, and district officials said instruction continued without interruption inside the building.
Authorities did not immediately say how the chase started, how fast the vehicle was traveling, or whether anyone was injured in the crash. Police also had not said whether additional suspects were involved. The search for the person who fled remained active Friday afternoon.
What secure status meant for students and staff inside McKinley
Des Moines Public Schools said secure status meant nobody could enter or leave McKinley Elementary while the situation unfolded outside. That kind of restriction is used when there is a safety concern in the surrounding area, but normal activity inside the school can continue.
A district spokesperson said classes went on as usual during the roughly 90-minute hold. The school did not send students home early, and dismissal remained on the regular schedule once the restriction was lifted.
The district did not report any disruption to classroom instruction, and officials said the measure was taken as a precaution while police searched nearby streets. The response allowed staff to keep students inside while avoiding a full evacuation or cancellation of the school day.
Neighborhood search continued after the school restriction ended
Even after the secure status was lifted, police kept looking through the neighborhood for the suspect who ran from the crash. Officers had focused their response near the school after the stolen-car pursuit ended close by, but authorities did not say exactly where the search was concentrated or how long it would continue.
The incident added a brief but visible police presence around McKinley Elementary on Friday afternoon. Because the school remained open internally, the main impact for families was the temporary restriction on movement rather than a change to the school day itself.
Police have not released a detailed description of the suspect. Sgt. Parizek said the investigation was still active as officers tried to locate the person who fled after the crash.
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