Tragic Shooting at an Iowa School Leaves Sixth-Grader Dead and Five Others Injured
Tragedy struck as a 17-year-old gunman took the life of a sixth-grader and injured several others at Perry High School in Iowa The devastating incident has left the community in shock and mourning
A 17-year-old shooter fatally shot a sixth grade student and injured five others on Thursday morning at Perry High School near Des Moines, Iowa, according to authorities. The wounded individuals consist of four students and one school administrator, as confirmed by officials.
In 2024, the United States has already experienced at least four mass shootings, including one on school property. The most recent incident was carried out by Dylan Butler, who was a student at the high school. The shooter has been confirmed dead by a law enforcement official.
Police quickly responded to the shooting at the high school, discovering several people with gunshot wounds and the gunman with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, as reported by Mortvedt during a news conference on Thursday. Additionally, authorities found and safely neutralized an improvised explosive device during a search of the school.
The gunman, who was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small caliber handgun, had also made a number of social media posts around the time of the shooting, said Mortvedt, who did not offer more details on the contents of those posts.
Law enforcement officers are seen outside Perry High School on Thursday.
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LIVE UPDATES: Shooting at high school in Perry, Iowa
Evidence suggests the shooter acted alone and authorities do not believe there are any additional threats.
The events took place at Perry High School before the start of the school day when there were few students present. "It's our understanding that there was a breakfast program going on so there may have been students of different grades ... in the school at that time," Mortvedt said. The attack occurred on the first day of classes for the new semester, amidst a year with over 80 school shootings recorded, the highest number since CNN began keeping track in 2008. This happened as Republican presidential candidates campaigned across the state, seeking support ahead of the Iowa caucuses.
Law enforcement authorities arrived at the campus within 7 minutes of receiving a call at 7:37 a.m. reporting an active shooter. Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante stated that there were very few students and faculty in the building at the time, as classes had not yet started.
In addition to local police, the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Iowa State Patrol all responded to the high school. Sergeant Alex Dinkla informed CNN that police vehicles from multiple cities were also present. The FBI confirmed their assistance to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the lead agency in the case.
"The law enforcement reacted quickly and decisively," Mortvedt stated during the press conference on Thursday. "Approximately 150 officers from local, state, and federal agencies arrived within the hour."
Perry, located about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, has a population of around 8,000, as reported by the US Census Bureau. The Perry Community School District includes a high school, a middle school, and an elementary school, serving approximately 1,800 students, according to its website.
A man and children leave the McCreary Community Building after being reunited following a shooting at Perry High School on Thursday.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds showed her support for the community, its students, teachers, and families on X, saying, "Our hearts are shattered by this heartbreaking tragedy."
A majority of the shootings analyzed in a new study involved handguns rather than assault rifles or shotguns.
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Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and GOP presidential candidate, expressed her distress on the platform formerly known as Twitter, stating, "It's heartbreaking for any parent, student, or teacher to have to wake up to news about a school shooting." She also extended her sympathies to the victims and community of Perry, Iowa.
Kris Brown, the president of Brady United Against Gun Violence, expressed dismay at the ongoing gun violence in the United States, stating "New year, same horror." He also offered support to the Perry High School community and pledged to continue working towards ending the epidemic of gun violence in America.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNNs Hannah Rabinowitz, Betsy Klein, Amy Simonson, Holmes Lybrand and Asher Moskowitz contributed to this report.
