Iowa Students Organize Walkout and March to Capitol to Protest Gun Violence

DES MOINES, Iowa — In the wake of a tragic shooting at Perry High School, students in Iowa are taking a stand against gun violence by organizing a walkout and march to the state capitol. The students are expressing their dissatisfaction with politicians’ perceived lack of action on this issue.

March For Our Lives Iowa wasted no time in inviting kids to participate in the event, which was planned just hours after a Perry High School student shot and killed a sixth-grader and injured seven others. The organization responded to the students’ persistent complaints about the school massacre by organizing the walkout.

Akshara Eswar, one of the executive state directors of the group, expressed the students’ sentiments by saying, “the shooting has hit close to home for a lot of us. People are upset. They can’t stop thinking about it.” Eswar emphasized the need to use this energy and ensure that lawmakers are aware of their dissatisfaction with Iowa’s current gun restrictions.

On Monday at noon, students from several cities including Bettendorf, Des Moines, Johnston, Waukee, and West Des Moines are expected to leave their classes to participate in the walkout.

The march, led by senior Eswar of Johnston High School, aims to deliver a letter outlining the students’ legislative demands to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. It is important to note that the 2024 legislative session begins on Monday, adding significance to the timing of the event.

Gun safety activists have long been advocating for stricter gun legislation in response to the alarming number of mass shootings in the US. The Perry High School massacre in Iowa has only intensified these calls for action. Within hours of the incident, several Democratic legislators and gun control advocacy groups condemned the tragedy.

In 2023, the United States witnessed a record-high number of school shootings for the second consecutive year. Official data reveals that there were 188 shootings resulting in casualties in elementary schools, both public and private, during the 2021–2022 school year.

Responding to the Perry High School massacre, former President Donald Trump made controversial remarks, declaring, “We have to get over it,” before criticizing other schools.

A Terrifying Reality: “We Can’t Bear to Be in School”

The legislative goals of the March for Our Lives movement include a bill requiring the reporting of stolen or lost weapons and a bill that would temporarily restrict the purchase or possession of firearms by individuals at risk of harming themselves or others. Once these individuals receive assistance, the prohibition would be lifted.

Eswar emphasized the students’ main objective, stating, “I think our biggest hope or agenda item, I would say for this, is that legislators understand that we are terrified to be in school.”

Eswar also highlighted that Iowa legislators have not prioritized passing legislation directly related to the safety of the state’s children and citizens. Instead, the focus has been on rules such as those prohibiting transgender girls and women from participating in sports, mandating parental notification if a child requests to use a new name or pronoun, and banning the teaching of sexually explicit material in schools.

“They use all of this in the name of protecting children,” Eswar continued. “However, the truth is that every day is a risk. It’s unfair that we have to live in terror every day when we walk into school because we never really know what will happen.”

Perry High School’s principal, known as Dad, heroically diverted the gunman, saving lives during the tragic incident.

Remembering the Victim: An 11-Year-Old Lost

The shooting at Perry High School claimed the life of an 11-year-old student. Perry, a small rural community located 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, is home to approximately 8,000 residents. The shooting occurred shortly before classes were set to resume after the winter break. An adolescent student armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber pistol opened fire in the school cafeteria before moving outside, according to authorities and school officials.

Mitch Mortvedt, a spokesperson for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, revealed that the shooting began during breakfast in the cafeteria, where students from various grades were gathered. Ahmir Jolliff tragically lost his life, and six others, including two staff members and four teenagers, were injured to varying degrees. Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger was among those injured. The gunman, identified as 17-year-old Dylan Butler, appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Ahmir, a sixth grader at Perry Middle School, left behind a legacy of love, compassion, and advocacy for those in need, according to his family’s obituary published in the Des Moines Register. The family also urged attendees of his funeral to continue his legacy and his unwavering determination to make the world a brighter place. The funeral is scheduled to take place one week after the incident at Perry’s St. Patrick Catholic Church.