On Friday Dylan Butler, a 17-year-old student, walked into a school class and killed a sixth grader and wounded five others.
Police tape is seen in front of a police vehicle as Manuel Oliver displays a banner calling on government officials to prioritize gun violence prevention from a construction crane near the White House in Washington, DC, on February 14, 2022. Oliver's son Joaquin Oliver was killed in the Parkland School shooting four years ago today.
The suspect was a student in Perry, Iowa died of what authorities believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger was among the five people wounded in the shooting, which occurred as students returned from spring break.
Mitch Morvedt, the state investigation division's assistant director, said during a news conference that an improvised explosive device was found after the shooting.
Law enforcement officials said federal and state investigators were interviewing the alleged shooter's friends and family, as well as looking through his social media posts, to try and discern and motive.
Before the shooting, according to an article by the Associated Press, Butler posted a photo to TikTok from inside a school bathroom with the caption "now we wait" and the song "Stray Bullet" by the German band KMFDM. Investigators found other photos Butler posted posing with firearms, according to the official, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Aftermath
Three gunshot victims were treated at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, a spokesperson said. Others were taken to a second hospital, a spokesperson for MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center confirmed.
Citizens attended a candlelight prayer vigil as they heard clergy from different faiths share messages of hope in English and Spanish.
Authorities said Butler had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun.
A post on the high school's Facebook page said it would be closed Friday and counseling services would be available for students, faculty, and others in the community.
In an initial briefing with reporters following the shooting, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said that a deputy responded to the scene within minutes of the school's request for assistance.
Two classmates of the alleged shooter told reporters that Butler had been the victim of constant bullying since he was younger and it escalated when his younger sister began being bullied as well.
"He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," one of them said, as revealed by the AP article. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no."
