On the evening of April 21, 2017, a 41-year-old Asian man named Stephen Pausuan Kim, a native of Myanmar, was fatally shot in Des Moines, Iowa. The incident occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the University Terrace Apartments. Kim was in his vehicle, waiting for his wife to finish her shift at a nearby restaurant, a routine act of devotion that tragically placed him in the path of violence.
The gravity of the event was magnified by the presence of his three young sons, who were in the car with him when he was attacked.
According to Des Moines Police, the shooting was the result of what they believe to have been a planned robbery. Investigators stated that at least four individuals were likely involved in the ambush. It is thought that Kim resisted the robbery attempt in an effort to protect his family, which led one of the assailants to fatally shoot him. In the immediate aftermath, one of Kim's children ran to a neighbor's apartment for help, stating that someone had killed his father. When law enforcement arrived, they found Stephen Kim with a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
In the days following the city's eleventh homicide of the year, police actively investigated the crime. They interviewed witnesses and began reviewing surveillance footage from the area in the hopes of identifying those responsible. Authorities urged the public for assistance, appealing for any information that might lead to a breakthrough in the case. Des Moines Police specifically addressed the individuals involved, noting that only one person pulled the trigger and that the others had a small window of opportunity to come forward as witnesses before they too would be considered suspects.
Despite the initial investigation and pleas for information, there have been no publicly announced arrests or naming of suspects in the years that have followed. The case of Stephen Pausuan Kim's death has grown cold, leaving his family and community without answers or justice. A devoted husband and loving father, Kim was remembered as a hardworking man, holding a position at Windsor Windows and Doors in West Des Moines and a part-time role as a host and bartender at the Cool Basil restaurant in Clive. His violent and untimely death left a void in the lives of his wife, three sons, and the broader Des Moines community.
