Iowa Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Shooting at Vehicles on Interstate

An Iowa man has been charged with four counts of attempted murder following a shooting incident on Interstate 35 in Warren County. Andrew Darrick Tanaka, 27, from West Des Moines, allegedly opened fire on passing vehicles on Monday afternoon, wounding a woman. According to court documents, after his arrest, Tanaka reportedly told police, "I had to kill people today." The incident began around 3:31 p.m. when authorities received multiple 911 calls about gunfire along the northbound lanes of I-35. Tanaka was driving a black Chevrolet Equinox when he allegedly fired at least two rounds into a Subaru Outback, striking the female driver in her left shoulder. He then reportedly fired another round at a black BMW before rear-ending a gray Nissan Altima. When the occupants of the Nissan stopped to check on him, Tanaka allegedly exited his vehicle with a handgun and fired at least one round into their windshield. Law enforcement from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, West Des Moines Police Department, and Iowa State Patrol responded to the scene. Officers found the injured woman and several vehicles that had been hit by gunfire. She was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Tanaka was located along the interstate after his vehicle became disabled and was taken into custody without further incident. The interstate was closed for several hours as investigators processed the scene. Tanaka is currently held at the Warren County Jail.