Tragedy Strikes Iowa School: Sixth-Grade Student Killed, Suspected Shooter Dead
In a devastating incident on Thursday morning, a sixth-grade student lost their life, and five others were injured when a 17-year-old opened fire at a school in Iowa. The tragic event occurred on the first day back to classes after the winter break, sending shockwaves through the community.
The suspected shooter, identified as Dylan Butler, was a student at Perry High School, as revealed in a news briefing by law enforcement officials. Responding officers found Butler dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. During the investigation, police discovered an improvised explosive device within the high school premises, which was later rendered safe by authorities from the state fire marshal’s office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The incident in Iowa adds to the distressing trend of gun violence in U.S. schools, with 346 incidents recorded in 2023, the highest in the K-12 School Shooting Database’s history. Unfortunately, the new year has already seen four such incidents in the first four days of 2024.
Sixth-grade student killed in Iowa school shooting, suspect dead https://t.co/ifPsLfmi3s pic.twitter.com/VGsl1mohem
— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) January 4, 2024
Perry, a town of about 7,900, located 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, was deeply affected by the attack. The middle and high schools share a single campus, and the shooting occurred just after 7:30 a.m., before the majority of students and faculty had entered the building. Butler, armed with a pump-action shotgun and a handgun, made several social media posts around the time of the shooting, according to Mitch Mortvedt, an assistant director with the state Department of Criminal Investigation.
Four wounded victims are students, while the fifth is a school administrator, as reported by Mortvedt, who declined to disclose names. Among the injured, one victim is in critical condition, while the other four are stable.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds expressed condolences at the news briefing, stating, “This senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state to the core, and I want this community to know that every Iowan stands with you.”
The FBI, along with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, is actively involved in the investigation, emphasizing the need to address these recurring tragedies. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “We cannot allow these tragedies to continue. We have to do something.”
Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who had initially planned a rally in Perry, shifted the event to an in-person prayer meeting following the shooting reports. The incident comes just days before Iowa’s significant role in hosting the first statewide contest for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Ramaswamy urged the public to “Pray for the community in Perry, Iowa this morning” on the X social media platform.