A 17-year-old high school student went on a shooting rampage Thursday morning at Perry High School, in Des Moines, Iowa, in the United States, murdering a sixth-grader and injuring four other students and one school administrator, international media reported.
The attack occurred shortly after 7:30 a.m. on the first day of the new semester.
The teen was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a handgun, and the shocking incident ended when the assailant, identified as Dylan Butler, killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
While conducting a search at the school, investigators uncovered an improvised bomb, which was successfully rendered inactive by fire marshal and US firearms officers.
Mitch Mortvedt, the Assistant Director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation, said that Butler made social media posts around the time of the shooting, but the motive for the attack is still under investigation.
Four students and Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger were injured. According to reports, the identity of the dead sixth-grade victim has not been disclosed.
Perry Police, Chief Eric Vaughn, praised the swift response of 150 local, state, and federal officers, noting the effective coordination among agencies.
Jody Kurth, a parent, defined the terrifying attack as “an absolute nightmare” after learning her stepson had been injured. Governor Kim Reynolds said, “This senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state.”
Hundreds of residents of Perry gathered for a candlelight vigil last night, to mourn and honor the victims of the tragedy.
The shooting adds to an alarming escalation of shootings at schools all across the United States, with four such incidents having been reported in the first four days alone of 2024.