On the morning of June 17, 2017, gunfire at a party in the 1800 block of Easton Boulevard on Des Moines’ east side left two men dead. Jason Smith, 30, a Black male, was shot around 3 a.m. and taken to a hospital, where he later died. The other victim, 26-year-old Darnell Lee, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers arriving found a chaotic, hostile crowd and encountered largely uncooperative witnesses, which hindered the initial investigation. Authorities publicly appealed for information and stated no arrests had been made.

If anyone was at the party that night or has information about who fired the shots on Easton Boulevard, please come forward to help bring answers to the victims’ families.