In the early hours of Sunday, May 21, 2017, the life of Ruot Gach, a 19-year-old Black/African American male from Carroll, Iowa, was tragically cut short. The scene of the fatal incident was the parking lot of the Zion Lutheran Church in Des Moines' Beaverdale neighborhood. Inside the church, a Sudanese engagement ceremony was taking place, but the violence that erupted outside around 2:30 a.m. was not believed to be directly connected to the celebration.
A neighbor living near the church recalled hearing agitated voices from the parking lot, followed by a series of sounds so rapid they resembled a string of fireworks.
When police officers arrived at 4300 Beaver Avenue, they discovered a chaotic scene. Ruot Gach was found deceased in the parking lot from gunshot wounds. With him was 27-year-old Yien Nhial of Des Moines, who had also been shot and was subsequently taken to the hospital for his injuries. Witnesses provided a description of a vehicle believed to be involved, which officers located a short time later. Inside that car was a third victim, 23-year-old Simon Joseph of Des Moines, who was also suffering from a gunshot wound. A fourth man, 28-year-old Tethloach Jock, also from Des Moines, independently sought treatment at a hospital for his own gunshot injuries sustained in the incident.
Investigators began the arduous task of piecing together the events of that morning, which marked the city's 15th homicide of the year. They interviewed the occupants of the vehicle where Simon Joseph was found and collected evidence from the scene, including a firearm they believe is connected to the homicide. While no arrests were made for Gach's murder, the investigation did lead to a related development. On May 27, 2017, Tethloach Jock, one of the injured men, was arrested during a traffic stop when police discovered a stolen, loaded handgun in the vehicle. While he faced charges for trafficking stolen weapons, it was not directly tied to the shooting. Authorities planned to conduct forensic analysis to determine if the recovered weapon was used in the church parking lot shooting. As of the latest available information, no one has been charged directly with the death of Ruot Gach.
