In the early hours of Thursday morning, January 4, 2024, a shooting incident occurred at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa.
As students returned from their winter break, their first day back was shattered by a mass shooting.
According to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, the incident was reported just before 7:40 am.
Responding within seven minutes of the report, officers discovered multiple gunshot victims on the premises. The sheriff’s office confirmed that a sixth-grade student had been killed. Four students and reportedly, the principal, Dan Marburger, were injured. One of the victims is reportedly in critical but not life-threatening condition and the other four injured are in stable condition
Sheriff Adam Infante, leading the investigation, assured the public that there was no ongoing threat to the community. The shooter, according to sources, died from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was identified as 17-year-old Dylan Butler, a student at the school. Several students interviewed said that Butler had been bullied since elementary school, and recently bullies had started with his younger sister. A TikTok picture was posted from the bathroom of the school saying “Now we wait” with a song called “Stray Bullet”. Law enforcement also found other photos of Butler posing with guns.
According to Mitch Mortvedt, the assistant director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation, the shooter was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small caliber handgun. Officers searched the school and found an improvised explosive device which was disarmed.
The early morning shooting occurred just as the school day was about to begin. Fortunately, fewer students and faculty were present, possibly preventing more harm.
The school, located approximately 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, Iowa, was surrounded by a significant law enforcement presence as the investigation commenced.
In response, the Perry Community School District suspended classes for tomorrow, offering counseling services at the Perry Public Library.
Crossroads Church in Perry organized a prayer vigil, extending an invitation to the entire community to unite and support one another during this challenging time.
Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered all flags at half-staff in Iowa until sunset on Sunday night.
