A woman was found dead late Friday evening following a shooting near an Applebee's restaurant in Altoona, police said.

Police were reportedly dispatched to the eatery at 3741 Eighth St. SW at about 11 p.m. after a caller said that a woman had been shot in a parking lot. The shooter had left the scene before police arrived.

Altoona Police Sgt. Alyssa Wilson identified the victim as 29-year-old Chekesha Clark, of Des Moines, at a Saturday morning news conference.

As part of their investigation, Wilson said Altoona police requested that Des Moines authorities check on a person of interest. That individual, 30-year-old Kalen Burgess, was found dead at 1:15 a.m. Saturday outside a Des Moines home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Wilson said.

The shooting happened after an argument between Clark and Burgess, who were in a relationship, escalated in the Applebee's parking lot, Wilson said. The couple shared a child together, but the child wasn't present during the shooting.

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"Nobody needed to lose their life in this situation," said Wilson, adding that healthy arguments can challenge and strengthen relationships. "But for somebody to take somebody's life is unacceptable."

Blake Read, a senior at PCM High School in Monroe, dropped by Applebees with his girlfriend to eat Friday night after attending a formal dance. They were beginning to order food when Read saw a line of police cars pulling into the parking lot.

Soon, many of the diners, Read included, were pressed up against the east windows, watching as officers strung crime scene tape around parked cars.

"Once the information spread that it was a shooting behind the restaurant, you could just feel the mood change from the normal happy, upbeat atmosphere of an Applebee's to more of a somber, eerie feeling," Read said.

He and his girlfriend left the restaurant a little before midnight after getting permission from law officials to move their car from the crime scene.

As they walked through the parking lot, Read saw paramedics carrying a white sheet to where he imagined the woman's body was.

"Our hearts hurt for the people involved all-around," Wilson said at a press conference Saturday morning. "No one should see this type of evil in the world."

Wilson encouraged victims of domestic violence to reach out to the department or the county for more resources on how they can get help.

Pleasant Hill police, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and county medical examiner are assisting the investigation.

Signs of an abusive relationship

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has developed a list of indicators that you or someone you know may be in an abusive relationship. They include:

Keeping track of everything you do: An abuser may constantly monitor what you do every day or whom you’re with. An abuser may demand passwords to phones or social media accounts, prevent you from seeing family or friends or discourage you from going to work or school.

Being jealous, controlling or angry: An abuser may be jealous or accuse you of cheating, have a quick temper or control how you spend money.

Demeaning you: An abuser may insult your appearance, intelligence or activities; humiliate you in front of others; or blame you for his or her violent outbursts.

Physically hurting or threatening to hurt you or loved ones: An abuser may hit, push, punch or bite you or use or threaten to use a weapon against you or loved ones. An abuser may threaten to harm themselves.

Forcing you to have sex or other intimate activity: An abuser may assume consent for a past sex act means consent for future acts.

Available help

Are you or a family member or friend a victim of domestic or sexual abuse? You may get help that’s free and confidential by calling (800) 770-1650 or texting IOWAHELP to 20121.