At least five people were shot and a child was killed in a school shooting Thursday morning in a small town in Iowa.
Police responded to a report of shots fired at Perry High School at 7:37 a.m., before classes began on the first school day after winter break. When officers arrived at the scene less than seven minutes later, they found “multiple” gunshot victims.
The suspected shooter was identified as 17-year-old Dylan Butler, a student at the school, Mitch Mortwaite, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said at an afternoon press conference. Butler was found suffering from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Four of the surviving victims were taken to hospitals, with one in serious but not life-threatening condition and four in stable condition. Officials said four of the surviving victims were students and one was a school administrator.
Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante earlier told reporters that the shooting happened before the start of the school day.
“Fortunately, there were very few students and faculty in the building, which I think contributed to a good outcome in that sense,” Infante said.
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Mortwaite said at 4pm that officers also found a “rudimentary” improvised explosive device inside the school, which was made safe. ET’s press conference, without going into much detail.
Mortwaite said Butler had a pump action shotgun and a small caliber handgun and that he had made social media posts around the time of the shooting.
The Sheriff’s Office, Perry Police Department, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded to the shooting.
“Our prayers are with the entire Perry community,” Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said at an afternoon press conference. He said the shooting “has shaken our entire state to its core… Every Iowan stands with you.”
He said investigators will work tirelessly to get answers as to why the shooting occurred. Perry is a city of approximately 8,000 residents. The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District.