Timothy Durand Lee III, a 17-year-old from Des Moines, died after a Saturday afternoon shooting on April 25, 2026, in the Highland Park neighborhood. Police were called just before 3:30 p.m. to the 3500 block of East 7th Street, where officers found Timothy with a gunshot wound. He was treated on scene, taken to a hospital in critical condition, and died that evening.

Investigators say 20-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez drove to the area, exited his vehicle armed with a handgun, and confronted Timothy during an argument before shooting him. Timothy reportedly fired back with a handgun after being hit, but none of his shots struck Rodriguez. Rodriguez fled; police recovered a handgun at the scene, later linked his vehicle to the shooting through witnesses, video and license plate reader data, and found the vehicle nearby with its plates removed and a bullet hole. Rodriguez was arrested in the early hours of April 26 and charged with first-degree murder.

Anyone who saw the incident on April 25 or has video from the Highland Park or River Bend neighborhoods is urged to come forward.