Driver Accused of Shooting at Cars on Iowa Interstate Allegedly Told Police 'I Had To Kill People Today'

A 27-year-old Iowa driver accused of opening fire on cars along a busy interstate allegedly told officers after his arrest that he 'had to kill people today', according to court documents filed in Warren County.

Andrew Darrick Tanaka, of West Des Moines, faces four counts of attempted murder over Monday afternoon's shootings on Interstate 35, which left one woman wounded and led to an hours-long closure of the major highway.

The incident unfolded just after 3.30pm on 5 October 2026, when multiple 911 callers reported gunfire along the northbound lanes of I-35 near mile marker 56, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Officers from the Warren County Sheriff's Office, West Des Moines Police and the Iowa State Patrol responded and found a woman with a gunshot wound and several cars with bullet damage.

What Happened on Interstate 35 During the Shooting Spree

Court records set out the sequence of events. Tanaka was driving a black Chevrolet Equinox when a woman in a black BMW overtook him, then passed a Subaru Outback, the affidavit says.

Investigators allege he then caught up with the Subaru and fired at least two rounds through the driver's side window, hitting the woman behind the wheel in her left shoulder.

He is accused of then pulling alongside the BMW and firing another shot through its driver's window before continuing north and rear-ending a grey Nissan Altima carrying two people.

When the Nissan's occupants stopped to check on him, Tanaka allegedly got out of his disabled vehicle with a handgun and fired at least one round into the Altima's windscreen, according to the complaint.

The wounded Subaru driver was taken to hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening. Police later located Tanaka standing on the shoulder of the interstate near mile marker 62, still holding a handgun, and took him into custody without further incident.

Chilling Police Statement and Attempted Murder Charges

Tanaka, once arrested, allegedly told law enforcement: 'I had to kill people today', a remark recorded in the criminal complaint and affidavit lodged at Warren County District Court on Tuesday. The document also notes he is being held on a $1 million (£757,325) cash-only bond, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for 16 October.

He has been booked into the Warren County Jail on four counts of attempted murder, each a class B felony under Iowa law, plus one count of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, a class C felony, according to court filings reviewed by local outlets.

The Warren County Sheriff's Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are continuing their investigation.

Major Interstate Shut for Hours

The shootings forced authorities to shut down a 16-mile stretch of I-35 for several hours while investigators processed the scene, disrupting traffic on one of the state's key north-south routes.

Nothing is confirmed beyond what appears in the charging documents and official statements. A criminal charge is an accusation, and Tanaka is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, as the Iowa Department of Public Safety notes in its press release.

On the face of the affidavit, the image remains of a driver pulling up beside strangers on a busy interstate, firing through windows, then telling police he 'had to kill people'.

Whether that remark reflects a fixed intent, a disturbed state of mind, or something else will likely be examined in the coming weeks as the case moves through the system.