2 dead, including gunman, in Iowa high school shooting

CLIVE, Iowa, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A sixth-grade student was killed Thursday in a shooting at Perry High School in suburban Des Moines, Iowa.

The shooter was also found dead at the scene with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Five more people were injured, including four students and one school administrator. They were transported to area hospitals.

Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations, confirmed during a press briefing that 17-year-old Dylan Butler opened fire in the school Thursday morning.

Police received an alert of an active shooter inside the high school at about 7:37 a.m. School was supposed to begin at 7:55 a.m.

"Police officers responded within minutes," Mortvedt said. "They immediately made entry and witnessed students and faculty either sheltering in place or running from the school."

Butler was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. A "rudimentary" explosive device was also found. It was rendered safe by the state fire marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"All evidence suggests Butler acted alone," Mortvedt said.

He added that Butler made posts on social media shortly before the shooting.

The shooter's motivation is unknown and the shooting is under investigation.

The shooting occurred on the first day of classes following winter break, and happened before the formal school schedule had started.

Fewer students and faculty members were in the building at the time than if classes were in session, "which I think contributed to a good outcome in that sense," Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante told reporters during an earlier press briefing.

The first officer arrived on the scene about 7 minutes after the alert. About 150 officers responded within the hour.

The students and staff who were in the building at the time of the shooting were there for academic work or extracurricular activities, such as band practice.

Rachel Kares, a senior at the school, told ABC News she was at jazz band rehearsal in the auditorium when she heard multiple gunshots.

"I just ran," she said. "I still had my saxophone on, too. I didn't have time to take it off."

Perry's high school and middle school are connected by a cafeteria, where Mortvedt said there may have been students from different grades at the time of the shooting.

Mortdvedt said Butler posted several social media messages around the time of the shooting including a TikTok video from inside a school bathroom with a photo that was captioned "now we wait," and the song "Stray Bullet" by the German band KMFDM.

Infante said all students were reunified with their parents within the first two hours of the incident.

Parents rushed to the school when they began hearing from their kids what had happened.

Jody Kurth told ABC News that her stepson was struck in the back and arm in the shooting, but is "doing really well."

Her daughter texted her about the shooting, she said.

"It was absolutely horrifying, that's one of the worst moments of my entire life," she said. "But the best phone call I got was saying that they were OK."

"I really never thought that Perry would have an issue like this," she added.

The suspect is believed to have acted alone, according to Mortvedt, who did not share any details on a possible motive.

Perry is situated about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines in central Iowa. Law enforcement agencies that responded included the Perry Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff's Department, Polk County Sheriff's Department, Des Moines Police Department and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigations.

LifeServe Blood Center, the organization that supplies all Des Moines-area hospitals, is asking for donations in relation to the shooting.

"Our hearts are with our neighbors in Perry impacted by the horrific situation that continues to develop this morning," Stacy Sime, the LifeServe CEO and president, said in a statement.

"We're encouraging community members to donate as soon as they can to help replenish our community blood supply."

Iowa Gov.Kim Reynolds said the "senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state to the core."

"Our hearts are heavy today and our prayers are with the Perry community," she said during Thursday afternoon's press briefing. "This strikes at the heart of everything we hold dear."

The governor ordered all flags in the state to be lowered to half-staff until sunset on Sunday.

The U.S. attorney general was notified of the shooting and President Joe Biden was said to be monitoring the details, the White House said Thursday.

"Our hearts break for the families of the victims in yet another act of senseless gun violence," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

"It's only the fourth day in the year, in the new year, and we are already faced with yet another horrific school shooting. And the question that we ask, is when will enough be enough?" she said.

Iowa has a long history of school shootings, dating back to 1984.

Perry has a population of 7,800. The high school was named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education last month.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited the school Dec. 7. Blue Ribbon Schools "are recognized for academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups," according to the Department of Education.

The school shooting is the United States' first of the year and fourth mass shooting in the first four days of 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive.