Iowa man shoots at vehicles on I‑35, wounds driver and is arrested after telling police he had to kill people

Andrew Darrick Tanaka, 27, of West Des Moines, was arrested Monday afternoon after firing multiple rounds at vehicles traveling northbound on Interstate 35 near mile marker 56 in Warren County.

Police received 911 calls reporting gunfire at about 3:31 p.m. and responded with deputies from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, West Des Moines police officers and Iowa State Patrol troopers.

“I had to kill people today,” Tanaka told law‑enforcement officers, according to the criminal complaint filed in Warren County District Court.

Investigators say Tanaka was driving a black Chevrolet Equinox when a black BMW passed him. He then caught up to a Subaru Outback and fired at least two rounds through its driver’s‑side window, striking the woman behind the wheel in her left shoulder. The woman was taken to a hospital; her injuries were reported as non‑life‑threatening.

Continuing north, Tanaka pursued the BMW and fired another round through that vehicle’s driver’s side window. He then rear‑ended a gray Nissan Altima carrying two occupants. When the Nissan’s occupants stopped to check on the scene, Tanaka exited his vehicle, brandished a handgun and fired at least one round into the car’s windshield before fleeing to the shoulder of the highway.

Officers later found Tanaka standing on the shoulder, still holding the handgun. He was taken into custody without further incident and booked into the Warren County Jail on four counts of attempted murder.

The shootings forced officials to close the interstate for several hours while investigators processed the scene and secured evidence. Authorities also recovered several vehicles that appeared to have been struck by gunfire.

Tanaka faces four counts of attempted murder, and the investigation remains ongoing as law‑enforcement agencies continue to examine motive and any potential ties to extremist activity.