In the early morning hours of February 23, 2024, a tragic event unfolded in the parking lot of a Des Moines business, leaving two men dead in what investigators would later describe as a murder-suicide. The victim was identified as 33-year-old Francisco Leonel Rivera Cosme. He was fatally shot by 31-year-old Alexis Manuel Lopez Rivera, who then turned the gun on himself.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about the shooting on Northeast 17th Street.
Upon their arrival, deputies discovered the bodies of two men, both with gunshot wounds. The initial investigation suggested that the incident was isolated, with evidence pointing to a confrontation between the two men who knew each other. Rivera Cosme was an employee of the business where the shooting took place.
Authorities have not released a motive for the shooting, and the investigation into what led to the violent encounter is ongoing. The incident left the local community and Rivera Cosme's colleagues to grapple with the sudden and tragic loss. No other suspects are being sought in connection with the deaths.
