PERRY, Iowa – A tragic shooting at Perry High School in Iowa resulted in the death of a sixth grader and the injury of five others. The 17-year-old shooter, identified as Dylan Butler, reportedly posted a foreboding TikTok video just moments before the attack. The video, believed to be from the shooter, showed him posing with a blue duffel bag inside a school bathroom with the caption “Now we wait.” The video was accompanied by the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM, which has also been connected to previous school shooting incidents.
Butler, who also died during the incident, had made a number of social media posts around the time of the shooting, according to Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation. Investigators are now working to secure evidence related to these social media posts.
Authorities are still trying to determine the motive behind the shooting and why Butler entered the school with a pump-action shotgun and small-caliber handgun. They also found a rudimentary explosive device at the scene. This tragic event marks the second school shooting in the US in the first few days of the year, and it adds to the disturbing trend of frequent school shootings in the country.
Students and witnesses have described the chaotic and terrifying moments as the shooting unfolded. The principal of Perry High School, Dan Marburger, attempted to save students by talking to and distracting the shooter during the attack. He was injured and underwent surgery, but is now in stable condition.
As the community grieves, details have emerged that suggest the shooter may have been bullied since elementary school, though the motive remains unclear. The tragic incident has deeply affected the entire state, with Governor Kim Reynolds expressing a commitment to preventing such tragedies in the future.
Perry district schools are closed, and counseling is being offered to students and staff. The community has come together in mourning, holding a vigil to honor the victims and show support for one another. The investigation into the shooting and the circumstances surrounding it is ongoing, and authorities continue to gather information to understand the events that led to this devastating loss of life and injury.