Heroic Death: Iowa Principal Dies Weeks After Protecting Students During School Shooting

An Iowa principal has lost his life due to critical injuries that he suffered after protecting students during a school shooting earlier this month.

The victim, identified as Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger, was confirmed to have died by his family on a GoFundMe page. The individual was injured during a Jan. 4 attack on the educational institution.

Iowa Principal's Heroic Death

(Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images)
An Iowa principal has died a hero after suffering from critical injuries he sustained while protecting students from a gunman earlier this month.

The incident began in the school's cafeteria, where students gathered for breakfast before class. During the shooting, an 11-year-old middle school student was killed, while six other people suffered injuries.

The suspect in the case was a 17-year-old student who opened fire and later died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. A day after the horrific incident, the state's Department of Public Safety said that Marburger "acted selflessly and placed himself in harm's way in an apparent effort to protect his students," as per Yahoo News.

Marburger's wife said that her husband died at around 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, adding that he lost his battle to live. Elizabeth noted that the principal fought hard for ten days, which they would forever treasure.

The principal's death triggered a flood of support on the Perry Facebook page as nearly 200 people posted condolences within the first hour that Elizabeth posted the news. Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds also offered her condolences to the victim's family.

She said that the entire state was devastated by the news of Marburger's death, adding that he courageously sacrificed himself to save his students. The governor said that the principal will be remembered for his selfless and heroic actions during the horrific school shooting.

Authorities said that Marburger suffered multiple gunshot wounds as he talked to and distracted the school shooter. According to CNN, the principal's daughter, Claire Marburger, also shared on social media shortly after the incident.

She said that when she heard the news about a gunman, she immediately had a feeling that her father would be a victim. She noted that he would probably put himself in harm's way to benefit the kids and his staff.

Horrific School Shooting

Claire added that she was not surprised to hear that the Iowa principal tried to approach and speak with the shooter to distract him and allow students to get out of the cafeteria. The tragedy ends Marburger's 25-year career at schools in Perry, Iowa.

Law enforcement personnel who responded to the scene of the crime within minutes of reports discovered several people suffering from gunshot wounds. They were also able to locate the shooter, who was already dead.

The Perry Middle School student who was killed was later identified as Ahmir Joliff, who was shot three times during the incident. In a statement, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt said that Marburger did "pretty significant things" to protect the school's students.

On the other hand, Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks said that the Iowa principal was a "hero" who intervened with the teenage shooter so that other students could escape. The gunman was later identified as Dylan Butler, who was said to have been equipped with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun, said NPR.