Iowa shooting: Sixth-grader killed, several injured on first day back
In yet another mass shooting incident in the United States (US), a 17-year-old student at an Iowa high school opened fire on the campus just minutes before classes resumed after the winter break. A sixth-grade student was killed, and five others, including the school principal, reportedly suffered injuries in Thursday's attack in the midwestern US state. The shooter allegedly turned the gun on himself after the rampage.
Identity of Iowa school shooter revealed
Identified as Dylan Butler, the shooter walked into Perry High School at approximately 7:30am (local time) with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. As Butler started firing, students reportedly barricaded themselves inside offices, ducked into classrooms, and fled in panic. Police believe he planned to kill many more people since an improvised bomb device was found on his body.
Suspect made several social media posts during shooting: Police
Addressing the media afterward, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt stated that officers quickly responded to the scene and found the suspect with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Mortvedt also revealed that Butler "made a number of social media posts in and around the time of the shooting." Speaking about the wounded, Mortvedt added that one was in a critical condition and four were stable.
Check out Butler's alleged social media posts
17-year-old Iowa school shooter was 'tired of being bullied': Report
While the motive for the shooting remains unclear, two of Butler's friends told the Associated Press that he was "hurting" and "got tired" of being bullied. The shooter's sister also echoed the same sentiment and said that Butler and his younger sister used to get picked on and bullied constantly. She also revealed that Butler's parents had flagged it to the school authorities earlier. However, the school officials never intervened, which she said was "the last straw" for him.
Second mass shooting incident in under a month in US
The Iowa incident comes just under a month after three individuals died and one more person was critically injured in a similar shooting at a Las Vegas university in America. The incident took place last year on December 7 at Las Vegas' University of Nevada (UNLV). The gunman, a 67-year-old career college professor, was later shot dead by the police.
US reported over 600 mass shootings in 2023
Mass shootings remain a major issue in America, the only country in the world with more guns than people. As per the Gun Violence Archive, the US has reported more than 600 mass shootings in just 2023. Notably, the nongovernmental body defines mass shootings as "four or more people being shot or killed in a single incident, not including the shooter."
