A 17-year-old student opened fire at Perry Middle and High School in Iowa on the first day of classes, tragically killing a sixth grader and injuring five others.
Just after 7:30 a.m. (13:30 GMT) on Thursday, the first day of classes at Perry Middle and High School saw a shooting, according to authorities.
Authorities identified the gunman as Dylan Butler, a 17-year-old student at the school. An Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation official disclosed that the cause of his death was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities said Butler owned a small-caliber handgun and a pump-action shotgun.
During a press conference, assistant director of the state investigation division Mitch Mortvedt stated that authorities had also discovered and made safe a "pretty rudimentary" improvised explosive device.
According to Mortvedt, authorities were also examining the suspect's motive and "a number of social media posts" he made around the time of the shooting.
He said that although the injuries did not seem to be life-threatening, one person was in critical condition and the others were stable.
One of the administrators hurt when the students returned from winter break was Dan Marburger, the principal of the school, who was later identified by his alma mater.
Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante stated that at the time of the incident, there were not many faculty members and students inside the building.
When Rachael Kares, 18, and her bandmates heard what she described as four separate gunshots, they were wrapping up jazz band practice, she told The Associated Press news agency.
"Everyone simply leaped," Kares remarked. "We fled when my band teacher yelled, 'Run!'" to us.
Kares continued, saying that she and other students ran past the football field as more gunshots could be heard, and she could hear people screaming, "Get out! Get out!"
The US attorney general was briefed after FBI and US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents arrived on the scene, according to a US Department of Justice spokesperson.
Iowa will no longer require a permit to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public as of July 2021, but it will still require a background check on anyone purchasing a handgun without one.
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