January 4, 2024 - One student killed, several wounded at Perry High School in Iowa, officials say

A sixth grade student was killed and five others wounded in a shooting at Perry High School near Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday morning.

The shooter was identified as a student at the high school and was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation.

The attack was the second school shooting of the year, according to a CNN analysis. It was also one of at least four mass shootings that have unfolded in the United States in 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Here’s what we know so far:

Police respond to a shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday.

The mass shooting at Perry High School in Iowa on Thursday marks the second school shooting in 2024, according to a CNN analysis. At least one person was killed, and five others were wounded, according to authorities.

The first school shooting of the year took place on January 3 in Midlothian, Virginia. One person was injured. No other shootings on school grounds took place earlier in a calendar year since CNN began tracking such shootings in 2008.

One other incident occurred on or before January 4 — a shooting at an Illinois high school where two people were injured on January 4, 2022, according to the CNN analysis.

There were 82 US school shootings in 2023, a record since at least 2008 when CNN began tracking school shootings. Of those last year, 52 were reported on K-12 campuses and 30 at universities and colleges.

How CNN reports these numbers: CNN reports mass shootings based on data from the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that tracks gun violence in the United States. CNN and the GVA define a mass shooting as a shooting that injured or killed four or more people, not including the shooter. 

CNN defines school shootings as shootings that involve at least one person being shot, excluding the shooter. The shooting must also occur on school property, which includes, but is not limited to buildings, fields, lots, stadiums and buses.

Flags in Iowa will fly at half-staff from now until sunset on Sunday after a gunman killed one person and wounded five others at an Iowa high school Thursday, the governor said,

“Our hearts are heavy today, and our prayers are with everyone in the Perry community,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. “This senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state to its core. I want this community to know that every Iowan stands with you.” 

This directive applies to flags at the state Capitol building and in the Capitol complex, as well as on all public buildings, grounds and facilities throughout the state, according to the statement.

“Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect,” the governor said.

CNN’s Jennifer Feldman contributed reporting to this post.

Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt of the Division of Criminal Investigation speaks during a press conference in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday.

One of the victims of a shooting at Perry High School is in critical but not life-threatening condition, according to Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt.

The other four people injured in the shooting are in stable condition, he said during a news conference Thursday.

Mortvedt said an investigation is ongoing and that officers from federal state and local agencies are working on the incident.

Officials have identified the person who opened fire at Perry High School as 17-year-old Dylan Butler, a student at the school.

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt said the shooter was armed with a pump action shotgun and a small caliber handgun.

He said the shooter made several social media posts in and around the time of the shooting.

At least one person was killed and five others were injured, he said. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Mortvedt said.

This post has been updated with the name of the shooter provided by police.

At least one person was killed in a shooting at a school in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday, according to Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt.

That person was a sixth grade student at the middle school, he said during a news conference.

Five other victims are being treated at hospitals in the area, according to Mortvedt. Four of them are students and one is a school administrator, he said.

Police officers located “an improvised explosive device” inside Perry High School in Iowa while undergoing a search of the building following the shooting, according to Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt of the Division of Criminal Investigation.

Iowa’s state fire marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms “rendered the device safe,” he said during a Thursday news conference.

“Numerous officers from multiple agencies were able to secure the school and verify no additional threats,” he said.

Mortvedt called law enforcement’s response to the shooting “swift and immediate,” adding that approximately 150 officers from the local, state and federal level responded within an hour of the incident.

“The investigation into this tragedy is ongoing,” he said.

Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt said authorities entered Perry High School and found the suspected shooter dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Students and faculty were sheltering in place or running from the school when officers entered, he said. Once inside, they found multiple people with gunshot wounds.

Officers located an improvised explosive device during the search, he added, but the state fire marshal and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials rendered it safe. 

Thursday was scheduled to be the first day back for students after winter break, according to the school district’s calendar. Classes had not begun yet.

“There were not many students. It is our understanding that there was a breakfast program going on. There may have been students of different grades in school at that time. It was all contained in Perry High School. It is still part of the investigation,” Mortvedt said.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks during a press conference in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds thanked law enforcement and first responders for their fast response to a shooting at Perry High School on Thursday.

Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante previously said authorities were notified of an active shooter at 7:37 a.m. local time and arrived on the scene within seven minutes.

Multiple people were wounded in the shooting, officials said.

The governor said she is working to continue to gather more details about what happened in order to prevent another shooting.

Senior White House staff has been in touch with the Iowa governor’s office, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said earlier.

Law enforcement is giving an update on today’s shooting at Perry High School in Iowa.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is in attendance.

Authorities said multiple people were wounded in the shooting. Earlier today, police declined to provide details on how many people were hurt and the extent of their injuries.

The shooter is dead, according to a law enforcement official.

Following the shooting at Perry High School this morning, US Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, both Republicans from Iowa, expressed gratitude to local law enforcement for their “quick response.”

“My team is in touch with officials in Dallas County about the heartbreaking situation at Perry High School. Join us in praying for the safety and recovery of those involved,” Ernst posted on X. “Thank you to law enforcement for the swift response.”

Grassley added: “Todays appalling violence at Perry HS is heartbreaking Barbara + I are grateful for quick response by school officials &law enforcement to protect students +restore safety.”

He added that the “Perry community is strong” and will come together at this time. Grassley also offered any help if federal resources are needed.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a daily press briefing on Thursday in Washington, DC.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “our hearts break” for the families of the victims in the shooting at Perry High School in Iowa, also calling on Congress to pass legislation to combat gun violence.

“Our hearts break for the families of the victims in yet another act of senseless gun violence. We are grateful for the brave first responders who are on the scene,” Jean-Pierre told reporters during Thursday’s press briefing at the White House.

The president is tracking the shooting, and senior White House staff has been in touch with the Iowa governor’s office, she added.

Jean-Pierre also urged Congress to act in the wake of this school shooting, saying that “we cannot allow these tragedies to continue.”

“Congress must act to enact universal background checks, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, (and) require safe storage of firearms,” she said, adding that “the gun industry’s immunity from liability” must stop and a national “red flag” law should be passed.
“We cannot allow these tragedies to continue,” Jean-Pierre said.

Multiple people are in Des Moines hospitals following the high school shooting in Perry, Iowa, Thursday, according to health officials.

“Multiple patients are being treated at Iowa Methodist Medical Center and MercyOne. All families of the victims have been reunited,” the Polk County Medical Coordination Center said in a statement.

Earlier on Thursday, police had declined to provide details on how many people were hurt and the extent of their injuries.

Police respond to Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds expressed heartbreak after the shooting at Perry High School, calling it a “senseless tragedy.”

“Our hearts are broken by this senseless tragedy. Our prayers are with the students, teachers & families of the Perry Community,” she wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

She said she continues to monitor the situation and will join a news conference with law enforcement officials later today. The time of the news conference has not yet been announced.

In response to the shooting at Perry High School in Iowa, Kris Brown, president of Brady — a leading US national gun violence prevention organization — decried the cycle of gun violence in schools.

Multiple people were shot at the high school early on Thursday morning, but the extent of their injuries is unclear. The shooter, who has not yet been identified, has been confirmed dead.

Just four days into the year, it is already the second school shooting in 2024, according to the organization.

“New year, same horror. These students were returning to campus after their holiday break only to be met with gun violence that has uniquely plagued their generation,” Brown said.

“2024 should not start this way for the students of Perry High School or any student in our nation. Our hearts are with all the affected students, teachers, school staff, parents, and community members. This year – as with every year – we are resolved to end this deadly epidemic and free America from gun violence.”

According to the school district’s calendar, the high school was scheduled to begin classes following winter break on Thursday. Officials said school had not yet started when the shooting began.

There will be no classes for students at Perry Elementary School tomorrow, following a shooting at Perry High School Thursday.

The school confirmed that classes were cancelled in a post on Facebook, and said there would be counseling services at the Perry Public Library from 10 a.m. 3 p.m. local time “for anyone in need.”

The shooter in the Perry High school shooting is dead, according to law enforcement official.

Earlier, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante had said the shooter had been identified, but had declined to share more details.

Law enforcement officers work at the scene of a shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday.

President Joe Biden is tracking the latest developments on a shooting at a high school in Perry, Iowa, a White House official has told CNN. 

Senior White House staff, the official added, have been in touch with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office.

Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said the shooter at the Perry High School in Iowa has been identified.

He declined to provide further details on the shooter’s current condition, but he added there will be another update soon where more details would be shared.

Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante speaks to the media following a shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday.

Classes hadn’t started yet when the shooting at Perry High School in Iowa happened this morning, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said.

The shooting was reported at about 7:37 a.m. CT (8:37 a.m. ET), he said.

The sheriff declined to provide further details.

Authorities responding to a shooting at Perry High School in Iowa found multiple gunshot victims this morning, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said.

He said authorities were notified of an active shooter at 7:37 a.m. local time and arrived on the scene within seven minutes.

Infante did not say how many people were injured and did not give information on the extent of their injuries.

He added that there was no ongoing threat to the community, and officials would provide another update later today.

Law enforcement officers work at the scene of a shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday.

Federal law enforcement agencies announced they are responding to the shooting at a high school in Perry, Iowa, Thursday.

“Agents from the FBI Omaha Des Moines resident agency are on the scene,” the FBI said in a statement. “We are assisting the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, who is the lead investigative agency.” 

“ATF has responded to the Active Shooter at the Perry High School in Perry, Iowa,” the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives posted to social media.

The Perry Police Department is expected to hold a news conference on a shooting at Perry High School in Iowa at 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET).

Perry is located just outside Des Moines, about 40 miles to the northwest, with a population of about 8,000, according to the US Census Bureau. The Perry Community School District — comprised of the high school, a middle school and an elementary school — serves about 1,800 students, its website says.

Thursday was scheduled to be the first day of classes for the new semester, according to the district’s calendar. CNN affiliate KCCI reported that classes at Perry High School have been canceled for the day.

This post has been updated with additional details.

Police respond to Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to a shooting at Perry High School in Iowa on Thursday, and the area has been “secured,” the Dallas County government confirmed on its Facebook page.

“The site has been secured and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office will release more information as it becomes available,” the post stated.

There was no immediate confirmation on possible injuries. CNN affiliate KCCI reported that classes at Perry High School have been canceled for the day.