School Shooting In Iowa Leaves 5 Injured, 2 Dead Including Gunman, A Student Who Was Frequently Bullied

A 17-year-old student opened fire at Perry Middle and High School in Iowa on Thursday morning.

The perpetrator, Dylan Butler, killed a sixth-grade student and injured five others before taking his own life. An explosive device was also discovered near the school.

Butler was reportedly armed with a shotgun and a handgun and acted alone, according to authorities. Before the shooting, he posted a message on TikTok that said, “Now we wait.”  His account was taken down after the incident.

Butler’s shooting took place before the opening bell, which led to minimal casualties. He was also reported to be severely bullied by many in the community.

Among those injured was the school principal.

“Our hearts break to hear of this kind of violence that affects so many people, including many in our community. Our thoughts will also be with the entire Perry community as they grieve through this traumatic event. We will follow up with any updates once we receive more information,” the school district said in a statement released on Facebook.

Many Iowa officials, such as Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), Sens. Chuck Grassley (R) and Joni Ernst (R) and Rep. Zach Nunn (R), have sent statements expressing their sadness at the shooting. All four have strongly opposed any form of gun control on the state or federal level.