DES MOINES, Iowa -- Des Moines police continue to piece together exactly what happened Thursday morning on Columbia Street.

"It was a loud voice but I couldn't make it out," said neighbor Jim Pierick. "It wasn't yelling. It was just loud voices and it sounded like they were having a disagreement or something."

When the first officer arrived, he found a woman's body in the street and a block away a second woman was found dead inside a car that had hit a utility pole.

Police said Bounpanh Xayavongchanh, 32, was the woman in the street.  The woman found dead in the car was Amalia Vasques, 60, Xayavongchanh's neighbor.  

Police said Vasquez was apparently driving down the street at the time of the shooting, stopped and called out to the gunman, Nath Inthaboun, 30, who then fired a shot at her.  She then drove away at a high rate of speed and hit the utility pole, suffering from the gunshot wound. 

"She was able to drive away," said police spokesman Sgt. Vince Valdez. "But of course being shot, she was obviously dying as she was driving away."

Following the shootings, police said Inthaboun went back inside the home at 3616 Columbia St. where he and Xayavongchanh lived.  When police approached the house they could see him inside holding a gun.

More than two dozen police officers then surrounded the home while negotiations took place.  

At 8:14 a.m., police SWAT teams swarmed the house, ramming in the front door and throwing in flash grenades.  Police said Inthaboun and the children were upstairs and he fired shots at the five officers as they climbed the stairs.

Police said the Inthaboun's gun then either misfired or was out of bullets, allowing officers time to overtake him and grab the three children.

Police, seconds later, rushed back out of the house holding the three children.  KCCI reporter Amanda Lewis reported that the children looked shaken, but OK.

Valdez said Inthaboun was taken to a Broadlawns Hospital.  It was first reported at the scene that the he had taken his own life, but police later confirmed that he was alive. Police said Inthaboun did not suffer any  injuries.

Inthaboun is now charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder for firing at officers.

"Inthaboun told us he was angry," said Valdez. "He went out and shot her."

Nath Inthaboun is charged with 2 counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Amalia Vasquez and Bounpanh Xayavogchanh.

Inthaboun is being held in the Polk County Jail. 

The three children were Xayavongchanh's and Inthaboun's. The children are now staying with their grandparents.

"They had family get-togethers in their driveway all the time," said Caldwell. "It seemed like they were pretty happy, but I guess not."

Reaction

Co-workers of Bounpanh Xayavongchanh released this statement Thursday afternoon:

The doctors and staff at Iowa Heart Center are deeply saddened by the loss of our co-worker and friend, Bounpanh Xayavongchanh, whom we affectionately referred to as “Bunni.” Bunni worked as a registered nurse in nuclear testing at Iowa Heart Center for two and a half years.

“Bunni was a happy, smiling person who loved to joke with coworkers. We will miss her deeply,” says her supervisor, Tisha Murphy. “She was an excellent team player who volunteered to help out wherever it was needed and always made sure our patients were well cared for.”

Iowa Heart Center has set up an internal memorial fund for Bunni’s family. Employees of Iowa Heart will be able to make payroll deduct contributions that will be donated to the family.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to Bunni’s three young children and family as well as our staff who have worked closely with her,” says Murphy.

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