Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Small Iowa Town Grieves After School Shooting Tragedy

By STEVE KARNOWSKI
Associated Press

A close-knit community in Iowa is reeling from the shock of a tragic school shooting in which a 17-year-old student killed a sixth-grade student and injured seven others before taking his own life. As the town of Perry tries to come to terms with the devastating incident, many questions remain unanswered about the motives behind the shooting. However, some details have started to emerge.

What Happened?

According to officials and school authorities, the shooting took place at Perry High School just after 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. The teenage student, armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun, opened fire in the cafeteria where students from various grades were having breakfast. The shooting then spilled outside the cafeteria, causing chaos and panic among the students and staff.

The victim, 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, was tragically shot three times. The exact location of the incident has not been disclosed. Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger and six others, including two staff members and four teenage students, sustained injuries ranging from significant to minor. The alleged shooter, identified as 17-year-old Dylan Butler, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities also discovered and safely disarmed an improvised explosive device in his possession.

Law enforcement officials believe that Butler acted alone in carrying out the attack.

Stories of Bravery and Selflessness

While the details of the shooting remain limited, some stories of heroism and selflessness have begun to emerge. Principal Dan Marburger, who has been serving the school since 1995, reportedly put himself in harm’s way to protect the students. Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks praised Marburger as a hero who intervened with the shooter, allowing students to escape. Other staff members, including Middle School Assistant Principal Adam Jessen, also acted bravely during the incident. Jessen carried a wounded student to safety.

The principal’s daughter, Claire Marburger, took to Facebook to express gratitude for the support they have received from the community. She shared a heartwarming card that read, “Not all heroes wear capes, some are the school principal.”

One mother, Bobbi Bushbaum, shared her gratitude on Facebook for the individuals who helped her son Corey after he was shot multiple times. She acknowledged their role in saving her son’s life, stating, “I would like them to know my son wouldn’t be here without them.”

What Was the Motive?

Authorities have yet to determine the motive behind the shooting. However, federal and state investigators are interviewing Butler’s friends and analyzing his social media profiles, including posts on TikTok and Reddit. Shortly before the shooting, Butler posted a photo on TikTok inside the bathroom of Perry High School. The photo was captioned “now we wait,” accompanied by the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM. Investigators also found pictures of Butler posing with firearms on his social media accounts.

According to friends and their mother, Butler had been a quiet person who faced relentless bullying since elementary school. Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, along with their mother Alita, revealed that the bullying had escalated recently after Butler’s younger sister became a target as well.

Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks did not comment on whether Butler had been bullied but emphasized the district’s commitment to addressing bullying incidents seriously and maintaining a safe environment for all students.

The Boy Who Was Killed

Ahmir Jolliff, affectionately known as “Smiley” to his family, was a vibrant and active 11-year-old. On the day of the shooting, he eagerly left his home to meet his friends on the first day back to school. According to his mother, Erica Jolliff, Ahmir loved soccer, played the tuba, and sang in the choir. He had a habit of touching people on their shoulder and asking them about their day.

Tragically, Ahmir, who attended the middle school connected to the high school, was shot three times during the incident.

Erica Jolliff shared her son’s loving and outgoing nature, saying, “He was so well-loved, and he loved everyone.”

A Community United

Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh expressed confidence that the community would support one another through this difficult time.

“We are a small town, but we will come together in a big way to overcome this tragedy,” Cavanaugh stated.

In a display of solidarity and support, Des Moines is illuminating three bridges in the city with blue lights, which represent the official school color of the Perry district.

Des Moines Mayor Connie Boesen urged residents to take a moment to reflect on the victims and their families when passing by or visiting the lit bridges. She emphasized the need to acknowledge the senseless tragedy and the shattered sense of safety and normalcy experienced by the affected families.

Perry, with its population of about 8,000 residents, is situated approximately 40 miles northwest of Des Moines. The town is known for its large pork-processing plant and boasts a more diverse population compared to the rest of Iowa. Census data shows that 31% of Perry’s residents are Hispanic, compared to less than 7% statewide, and nearly 19% were born outside the U.S.

School Plans

Perry High School will remain closed for the upcoming week to allow for thorough cleaning and repairs. Elementary and middle-school classes may resume on Friday at the earliest.

The Political Context

The tragic shootings have cast a shadow over Iowa’s upcoming Republican presidential caucuses, scheduled for January 15.

While candidates continued their campaigns in the state on Thursday and Friday, questions regarding the shooting arose. However, these questions did not interrupt the candidates’ appeals to conservative caucus-goers. The incident highlights the resistance among Republicans to gun control measures and the unfortunate prevalence of school attacks.

At separate CNN town halls on Thursday evening, both Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley faced questions about gun control. Both candidates stressed the importance of increased mental health services and improved school security.

Former President Donald Trump briefly mentioned the shooting during a rally in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Friday night. He expressed his sorrow over the tragedy and urged the community to move forward.

___

Associated Press writer Mike Balsamo in New York contributed to this story.

.