Man in custody in shooting of wife, daughter

A Des Moines man has been hospitalized with self-inflicted gunshot wounds after police say he fatally shot his wife and 16-year-old daughter in their home Sunday night.

Barney Fraaken, 47, is accused of killing his wife, 42-year-old Amy Fraaken, and their daughter, Amber Fraaken, at their house in the 4200 block of Hull Avenue.

At about 7 p.m. Sunday, Des Moines police officers and Des Moines Fire Department medics went to the home after receiving a 911 call for help. As officers were en route, 911 dispatchers determined a shooting had occurred, according to the news release.

Sgt. Paul Parizek of Des Moines police said in the release that it appears the shootings stemmed from a "domestic conflict."

Police would not provide any other details, pending their investigation.

Family members of the Fraakens could not be reached for comment Monday.

'A beautiful family'

The Fraakens' next-door neighbor for the past year, Bob Gweah, said Barney Fraaken was friendly and often exchanged words with him in their adjacent driveways. When he heard the news of the deaths, Gweah paused.

"He doesn't look like somebody who would get angry," Gweah said. "I can't really think of seeing him do anything violent."

Gweah said Barney Fraaken, who was a mechanic of some sort, had told him the family moved to Iowa from Florida because the cost of living was lower. Amber would sometimes mow Gweah's lawn.

"She was a nice little girl," Gweah said. "(Barney) had a beautiful family."

Another neighbor said Amy Fraaken and others had been living at the duplex for about two years.

"The older guy would walk the streets a lot during the day, which was odd," said Tavonne Botts, a neighbor.

'A very difficult day'

Amber was a student in Des Moines Public Schools' alternative program at Central Campus, according to Amanda Lewis, a spokeswoman for the district. Grief counselors were made available Monday for students.

Amber was fondly remembered by the staff at Hoyt Middle School, where she had been a student.

"It's been a very difficult day for everyone," Hoyt Principal Deb Markert said Monday. "It's way too hard to wrap our heads around it because it wasn't an accident."

After Amber graduated from Hoyt, she would still visit the teachers and staff members who had welcomed her there when her family moved to Des Moines from Florida in 2011, Markert said.

"She was that kind of kid. Her personality was to connect with others with just that smile on her face and her friendly, funny sense of humor," Markert said.

Numerous staff members who no longer work at Hoyt called the school Monday to reach out when they heard the news, Markert said.

Joshua Osborne, a behavioral coach at Hoyt, remembered Amber as funny and kind.

"Amber was a very determined, high-energy, assertive and strong-willed young lady who tried her hardest to fit in with her peers," Osborne said in an email. "She had a great smile, loved to laugh and loved learning magic tricks. She tried her best to come to school every day with a positive attitude. Some days were better than others. Her friends enjoyed her humor very much."

'Tough, emotional times'

Osborne said Amber liked language arts and writing in a journal, and that she liked gym class, but didn't necessarily like the competitive aspect.

"She shared with me some personal struggles and successes, but always seemed to have a positive outlook on life," Osborne said, adding that he knew Amber and her mother had experienced some "tough, emotional times."

Botts, a neighbor, said it's typical to see emergency vehicles on her street, but she's not seen a homicide investigation.

"It's just unusual. We're a working-class neighborhood," she said.

Online court records from Iowa and Florida show Barney Fraaken does not have an extensive criminal history in either state. He was charged with assault use or display of a weapon in Polk County in 1998, but the charge was dismissed, according to court records.

The deaths of Amy and Amber Fraaken are the 15th and 16th homicides in Des Moines this year.