Katherine Klingseis

kklingseis@dmreg.com

A group of armed men invaded a Des Moines home and then exchanged gunfire with a neighbor Tuesday night, police said.

Police were called to the home of a young couple in the 100 block of Southeast 33rd Street a little after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Three or four men came in through their backdoor while the couple were watching television and ordered them to the ground, according to a police report.

The suspects "pistol-whipped" the male victim and grabbed the female victim's hair, the report stated. The male victim was able to escape to a neighbor's house, which triggered the suspects to flee.

Since the neighbor knew there were guns in the victim's home, the neighbor also armed himself and went outside.

As the suspects fled in a red Nissan, they exchanged gunfire with the neighbor. Police found two bullet holes in a nearby building.

The male victim was treated at the scene. The female victim was uninjured.

The robbers took two guns belonging to the victims when they left. Police reported that the victim's house smelled of marijuana and found a water pipe and marijuana pipe.

The victims told police they did not know their attackers, but that the robbery was not drug related.

Police had not located the suspects as of about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.