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:
- The victims: In addition to the sixth grade student who was killed, five other people were wounded and are being treated at area hospitals, Mortvedt said. That includes four students and one school administrator, according to the official. One of the victims is in critical but not life-threatening condition and the other four people are in stable condition, he said.
- The shooter: Officials identified the shooter as 17-year-old Dylan Butler, who was a student at the high school, according to Mortvedt. He said the shooter was located with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small caliber handgun. The gunman had also made a number of social media posts around the time of the shooting, Mortvedt said.
- Explosive device: During a search of the high school, officers found "an improvised explosive device," Mortvedt said. The state fire marshal and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials rendered it safe.
- Response: Authorities were notified of an active shooter at 7:37 a.m. local time — before school started — and arrived on the scene within seven minutes, according to Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante. Mortvedt said students and faculty were sheltering in place or running from the school when officers entered, adding the shooting was contained in the high school. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds thanked law enforcement and first responders for their fast response, saying their actions saved lives.
- Days ahead: 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. The district announced that all schools will be closed on Friday, it said in a Facebook post. There will also be counseling services at the Perry Public Library from 10 a.m. 3 p.m. local time tomorrow, the district said.