Perry High School shooter killed sixth-grade student
According to state law enforcement officials, a 17-year-old Perry High School student armed with a shotgun, a revolver, and a homemade bomb murdered a sixth-grade student and wounded five others Thursday morning before the start of the school day.
According to Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Division of Criminal Investigation, the offender was Dylan Butler, who fatally shot himself before local police officers arrived at the school.
Around 7:37 a.m., cops responded to a report of an active shooter at the high school, where kids from various grades had gathered for breakfast.
Officers saw children and school personnel running or hiding, as well as numerous people with gunshot wounds, according to Mortvedt.
“Officers immediately attempted to locate the source of the threat and quickly found what appeared to be the shooter with a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the officer stated.
Butler, he added, had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber pistol. Officers also discovered a “rudimentary” explosive, which was deactivated and did not explode.
“All evidence thus far suggests that Butler acted alone,” Mortvedt stated. Investigators are looking through Butler’s social media posts from the time of the shootings.
“It’s impossible to understand why anything like this happens,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds at a press conference. “But again, I want you to know that we’ll work tirelessly to get the answers so that we can prevent it from happening again.”
Five children and one school administrator were among those killed. Although one sixth-grade Perry Middle School student died, the other five patients are likely to recover. According to Mortvedt, most of them are in stable condition, with one suffering serious but non-life-threatening injuries. At the afternoon press conference, no identities of the fatalities were disclosed.
“All of our condolences to the victims and their families.” Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn choked up as he spoke. “They need your thoughts and prayers, as well as time and space to process and grieve.”
Excellent response time
Reynolds expressed gratitude to the several local, state, and federal entities that responded immediately to the situation. The Perry Police Department, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol, the state Division of Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were among those involved.
“In a situation like this, as we all know, every minute counts, and their heroic actions today, we can say, saved lives,” Reynolds told reporters. “The response was tremendous, and we’re extremely grateful.”
The incident was reported to law authorities at 7:37 a.m., before the start of the school day, according to Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante during an earlier press conference. “Officers first arrived within seven minutes of that activation and located multiple gunshot victims,” Infante told the media.
“Luckily, there were very few students and faculty in the building, which I think contributed to a good outcome in that sense,” Infante went on to say.
Multiple victims of the gunshot were being treated at Iowa Methodist and MercyOne hospital centers in Des Moines, according to the Polk County Hospital Coordination Center.
Infante stated that a reunion facility had been established for pupils and families and that “all the kids had been reunified already.”
Candidates and elected officials respond
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley replied to an “appalling” event with a post on X, saying he would be willing to assist if government resources were required.
“Today’s heinous violence at Perry High School is heartbreaking, and Barbara and I are grateful for the quick response by school officials and law enforcement to protect students and restore safety.” The Perry community is strong and will band together to overcome adversity. I am here to assist if further resources are required. Grassley made a statement.
U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, who represents Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, said he was “beyond angry” about the shooting on X. “We have a duty to protect our children, families, and educators,” he said.
In a social media post, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy stated that he arrived in Perry immediately after the shooting for a scheduled campaign event. He said that the program had been canceled and turned into a time for prayer and free discussion. “We pray for the victims of the Perry, Iowa, high school shooting.” “I happened to be there right after it happened today, so we canceled our event and converted it to a prayer and open conversation,” he wrote.
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis emphasized his response as Florida governor to the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy, which happened before he took office. He stated that the state had “done over a billion dollars” for school safety and that “the things that we’ve done have been very, very effective.”
However, he stated that he does not anticipate the federal government being at the forefront of school safety problems. “I believe it is primarily a local and state issue.” “However, we’ve demonstrated how it’s done in Florida,” he remarked.
DeSantis’ reaction to the incident came during an interview with the Des Moines Register and NBC News on Thursday.
“As a father of three young children in school, we want—as parents—to have safety in school,” @RonDeSantis says of the horrible shooting at Perry High School.
Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential contender, also commented on the massacre on X, stating her “heart aches for the victims of Perry, Iowa, and the entire community.” “No parent, student, or teacher should have to face the news of a school shooting when they wake up.” “My heart breaks for the victims of Perry, Iowa, and the entire community,” she said on Facebook.
“My team is in contact with officials in Dallas County about the heartbreaking situation at Perry High School,” said U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. Please join us in praying for the safety and well-being of all those affected.
Gun control laws
As the initial gunfire reports were reported, Democratic legislative leaders were meeting with the media in a legislative session at the State Capitol.
“I just want to start by extending condolences to those in Perry, Iowa,” Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, stated. “I know we’re still waiting for further information on what happened there. But I believe I can speak for all Democrats and everyone in Iowa when I say that our hearts go out to the families affected by whatever happened there.”
Neither Jochum nor House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst addressed the issue of gun control in Iowa. Over the last four years, Iowa’s Republican legislative majority has gradually relaxed gun prohibitions and regulations.
“Prevention of gun violence has always been on our agenda, and we will keep a very watchful eye on how things progress in Perry,” Jochum said in a statement.
The Democratic leaders appeared at an Iowa Capitol Press Association conference. Republican legislators were invited but did not attend.
“Prevention of gun violence has always been on our agenda, and we will keep a very watchful eye on how things progress in Perry,” Jochum said in a statement.
The Democratic leaders appeared at an Iowa Capitol Press Association conference. Republican legislators were invited but did not attend.
