IOWA CITY, IOWA (AP) – The recent tragedy at Perry High School has left the Perry community in shock, as 17-year-old Dylan Butler attacked the high school, killing a sixth-grade student and injuring four other students and a school administrator. The motive behind the shooting is being investigated, and authorities are looking into a number of social media posts made by the suspect around the time of the shooting.
Former classmates of Butler revealed that he had been relentlessly bullied since elementary school, which had escalated recently when his younger sister started getting picked on as well. Despite their pleas for intervention, school officials did not intervene, which the classmates believe was the tipping point for the shooter.
Just moments before the shooting, Butler posted a video on TikTok with the caption “now we wait” and the song “Stray Bullet” by the German band KMFDM. Investigators also found photos of the 17-year-old posing with firearms on his social media accounts. Butler was found dead at the scene with what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The tragedy has reignited the national debate on gun control, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis asserting that gun control is a local and state issue. However, the President of the Brady advocacy group expressed deep concern, stating that no child should have to hide in their classrooms fearing for their lives. This tragedy has once again raised the question of when enough will be enough in terms of preventing school shootings.
This senseless tragedy has left the entire state of Iowa shaken to the core, and the Perry community is in mourning. The shooting at Perry High School serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing issues surrounding gun violence, prompting renewed calls for action to address this deadly epidemic.