A man from Iowa has been charged with opening fire on vehicles traveling along an interstate, resulting in injuries to a woman. This information comes from court documents detailing his chilling confession to police after his arrest.
Andrew Darrick Tanaka, 27, from West Des Moines, is facing four counts of attempted murder related to the incidents that occurred on Monday afternoon along Interstate 35 in Warren County, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
Following his arrest, Tanaka allegedly told authorities, “I had to kill people today,” as stated in a criminal complaint filed in Warren County District Court.
The situation escalated around 3:31 p.m. when 911 operators began receiving multiple reports of gunfire along the northbound lanes of I-35.
Tanaka was driving a black Chevrolet Equinox when a woman in a black BMW passed him. Afterward, the BMW overtook a Subaru Outback.
According to investigators, Tanaka then caught up to the Subaru and fired at least two shots through the driver’s side window, injuring the woman in the left shoulder.
He also allegedly targeted the BMW, firing another round through its driver’s side window.
Tanaka continued driving north but then rear-ended a gray Nissan Altima occupied by two individuals. When they stopped to check on him, he reportedly exited his vehicle with a handgun and fired into their car’s windshield.
Responding to reports of gunfire near mile marker 56 were deputies from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, officers from the West Des Moines Police Department, and troopers from the Iowa State Patrol.
Officers discovered the injured woman and several vehicles that appeared to have been hit by gunfire. Fortunately, her injuries were deemed not life-threatening, and she was transported to a hospital for care.
Authorities later located Tanaka along the interstate after his vehicle became disabled as a result of the collision. He was found standing on the highway shoulder with a handgun in his possession when officers arrived and was taken into custody without incident.
The shootings led to a closure of the interstate for several hours as investigators examined the scene.
Tanaka is now held in the Warren County Jail on four counts of attempted murder, with investigations by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation ongoing.
