Iowa Principal Put Himself ‘In Harm’s Way’ For Students During School Shooting, Police Say

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa principal critically injured in a college capturing put himself in hurt’s manner so college students may attempt to escape from a teenage shooter who opened fireplace in a cafeteria as college students had been gathering for breakfast earlier than class, authorities mentioned Friday.

Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger and 6 others, together with two employees members and 4 teenage college students, had been injured within the Thursday morning capturing that left one sixth-grader lifeless. The 17-year-old scholar who opened fireplace additionally died of an obvious self-inflicted gunshot.

The state Department of Public Safety mentioned Marburger, who’s being handled in a Des Moines hospital, “acted selflessly and placed himself in harm’s way in an apparent effort to protect his students.”

Details additionally emerged about different victims. The scholar killed was recognized as 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, who was shot 3 times, authorities mentioned. The mom of 1 teenager posted on Facebook that her son was helped to an ambulance after he was shot a number of instances. Perry Superintendent Clark Wicks mentioned a number of individuals helped others to security.

“This is an extremely painful and difficult time for our entire school community, and in our grief, we will take time to remember,” Wicks mentioned.

Yellow crime tape nonetheless lined the campus Perry High School shares with the city’s center faculty on Friday, and flowers and stuffed toys had cropped up in mini memorials. Wicks mentioned courses won’t resume within the district earlier than subsequent Friday on the earliest.

The information that seven college students and employees suffered “wounds or injuries of varying degree” through the capturing was two greater than authorities mentioned Thursday afternoon. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation spokesman Mitch Mortvedt mentioned the quantity elevated after investigators later discovered about two extra wounded school members. All seven are believed to have been both wounded or grazed by bullets, and suffered accidents starting from vital to minor.

On Friday, Marburger and two college students remained hospitalized.

In a Facebook put up Thursday night time, the principal’s daughter mentioned he was in “surgery all day, and is currently stable.”

Claire Marburger referred to as her father a “gentle giant” and mentioned it wasn’t stunning that her father tried to guard his college students.

“As I heard of a gunman, I instantly had a feeling my Dad would be a victim as he would put himself in harms way for the benefit of the kids and his staff,” his daughter wrote. “That’s just Dad.”

Mortvedt mentioned Marburger, who has been principal since 1995, did some “pretty significant things” to guard others through the capturing, however didn’t launch particulars. Wicks, the superintendent, mentioned Marburger was a “hero” who intervened with Butler so college students may escape. Wicks mentioned different employees additionally acted heroically, together with Middle School Assistant Principal Adam Jessen who “carried a wounded student into a safe area.”

One mom, Bobbi Bushbaum, posted on Facebook that her son Corey was shot a number of instances, struggling a fractured femur and wrist. Bushbaum mentioned Corey was in a position to stumble to a close-by subject after being wounded, and when she arrived, he was being helped towards an ambulance. In the put up, Bushbaum mentioned her son underwent one surgical procedure, however nonetheless had bullets in his physique and received’t be capable to stroll for weeks.

Bushbaum expressed due to those that helped pull Corey to security, saying: “I would like them to know my son wouldn’t be here without them.”

The capturing occurred simply after 7:30 a.m. Thursday, shortly earlier than courses had been set to start on the primary day again after winter break. Mortvedt mentioned the capturing began within the cafeteria, the place college students from a number of grades had been consuming breakfast, then spilled exterior the cafeteria however was contained to the north finish of the varsity.

Authorities mentioned the suspect, recognized as Dylan Butler, had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mortvedt instructed The Associated Press that authorities additionally discovered a “pretty rudimentary” improvised explosive system in Butler’s belongings, and that specialists suggested “it was something that they needed to disarm.” It was rendered protected.

A legislation enforcement official briefed on the investigation mentioned federal and state investigators had been interviewing Butler’s pals and analyzing Butler’s social media profiles, together with posts on TikTook and Reddit. However, authorities have supplied no details about a doable motive.

Shortly earlier than Thursday’s capturing, Butler posted a photograph on TikTook inside the lavatory of Perry High School, the official mentioned. The photograph was captioned “now we wait” and the tune “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM accompanied it. Investigators even have discovered posted pictures of Butler posing with firearms, based on the official, who was not licensed to publicly focus on particulars of the investigation and spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity.

Two pals and their mom who spoke with the AP mentioned Butler was a quiet one that had been bullied relentlessly since elementary faculty. Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, each 17, mentioned alongside their mom, Alita, that it escalated just lately when Butler’s youthful sister began getting picked on, too.

“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment,” Yesenia Roeder Hall mentioned. “Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”

Police mentioned Thursday they consider Butler acted alone. But investigators haven’t mentioned how Butler obtained the firearms.

Investigators are nonetheless working to get a “good grasp of who Dylan was,” and the mother and father have been cooperating, Mortvedt mentioned. The investigation will embrace Butler’s background together with the “environment of the school,” he mentioned.

Wicks wouldn’t focus on whether or not Butler had been bullied however he defended the best way his district responds to these conditions.

“We take every bullying situation seriously and our goal is to always have that safe and inviting atmosphere, but I’m not going to comment on this individual case as well as any other individual case,” Wicks mentioned.

Butler’s mother and father have been fixtures of the Perry group. His father is director of the town’s airport after serving as its public works director for years, the place he received reward serving to clear up Perry after a devastating wind storm in 2020. His mom has additionally owned a small enterprise and served on a metropolis growth board. The mother and father haven’t responded to messages in search of remark.

On Thursday night time, tons of gathered for a candlelight prayer vigil at a park the place hours earlier, college students had been dropped at reunite with their households after the capturing. Bundled up towards freezing temperatures, they listened to clergy from many religions and heard a message of hope in English and Spanish.

Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the sting of the state capital’s metropolitan space. It is house to a big pork-processing plant and low-slung, single-story properties unfold amongst bushes now shorn of their leaves by winter.

The highschool is a part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Perry is extra numerous than Iowa as a complete. Census figures present 31% of its residents are Hispanic, in contrast with lower than 7% statewide. Those figures additionally present almost 19% of the city’s residents had been born exterior the U.S.

Despite the shock of the capturing, Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh expressed confidence the group would get by the painful expertise.

“We are a small town, but we will pull together in a big way to get through this,” Cavanaugh mentioned.

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McFetridge reported from Des Moines, Iowa, Foley from Iowa City, Iowa, and Funk from Omaha, Nebraska. Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, Claudia Lauer in Philadelphia, Mike Balsamo in New York and Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis additionally contributed.