PERRY, Iowa – An 11-year-old boy, Ahmir Jolliff, was tragically killed in a mass shooting at Perry High School in rural Iowa on Thursday. According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Jolliff was one of eight people shot at the combined high school and middle school, 40 miles northwest of Des Moines. Three staff members and four other pupils were also injured to varying degrees.
The suspected shooter, 17-year-old Dylan Butler, a student at the high school, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jolliff, known as “Smiley” at home, had been eager to return to school after the holidays, according to his mother, Erica Joliff. His mother described him as a well-loved and outgoing person.
The shooting also left Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger in critical condition. Marburger’s daughter claimed that he had tried to calm down and distract the shooter to allow other students to escape, displaying selfless courage in the face of danger.
As a result of his selflessness, a national nonprofit organization started an emergency fund to assist with Marburger’s medical bills and honored him with its “Heroism Award.” Two other students remain hospitalized while the other victims have since been treated and released, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
The investigation is still ongoing, with authorities seizing large volumes of digital and social media evidence. The motive of the shooter remains unclear, with the Division of Criminal Investigation’s report to be submitted to the Dallas County Attorney’s Office for further action. The tragic event has left the community in shock and mourning, with questions about the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the impact it has had on the town.