A shooting incident has occurred in Iowa, America, on the very first day of school after winter vacation, in which one person died and five others were injured. After this incident, panic spread in the school. An Iowa Division of Defense official said several people were shot at a high school in the city on Thursday. After which the two gunmen were taken by ambulance to the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the capital Des Moines.
Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said the shooting happened before school started, so only a few students and teachers were present at Perry High School. Infante said a shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. Thursday. When officers arrived at the scene, they found several people injured, but they could not confirm how many people there were or their conditions. A spokesman for Unity Point Health, which operates the Des Moines hospital, confirmed the arrival of two gunmen.
officers engaged in investigation
Authorities identified the attacker as 17-year-old Dylan Butler. But no information was given about the motive of the attack. Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital's metropolitan area. Authorities said the shooter had a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. Mitch Mortwaite, assistant director of the state Division of Investigation, said officers also found an improvised explosive device, which has been secured.
investigation of social media posts
Mortwaite said the suspect's motive is being investigated. The officers are also investigating several social media posts made by him at the time of the firing. Butler has reportedly been bullied consistently since elementary school, but it escalated recently when her younger sister also began being bullied. But the school authorities did not intervene and this had a greater impact on Butler.
harassment in school
Yesenia Roeder Hall, 17, said she was tired of the harassment. So was it okay to shoot someone in school? Perry High School senior Ava Augustus said she was waiting for a counselor in the school office when she heard three gunshots. Unable to escape through a small window, he and the others locked the door and were prepared to throw things if necessary. A spokesman said the gunman was being treated at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. A spokesperson for MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center confirmed that other people were taken to another Des Moines hospital.
Mortwaite said one person was in critical condition but the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. The other victims are stable, he said. A post on the school's Facebook page after the incident said that it will remain closed on Friday and counseling services will be available for students, teachers and community members.
Governor expressed grief
Governor Kim Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to be flown at half-mast. He said, this senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state to the core. In Washington, President Joe Biden and US Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed about the firing. FBI agents from the Omaha-Des Moines office are assisting in the investigation led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Demand for strict gun laws
There have been calls for stricter gun laws for a long time due to mass shooting incidents across America, and within a few hours on Thursday it happened. But the idea has failed for many Republicans, especially in rural, GOP-leaning states like Iowa. As of July 2021, Iowa does not require a permit to purchase a handgun or carry a gun in public, although a mandatory background check is required for anyone purchasing a handgun without a permit.
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