- Dylan Butler killed one student and injured several others on his first day back at school after winter break before taking his own life.
- The parents said in a statement that they had no prior knowledge that their son intended to commit any violent acts at Perry High School.
- The Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the case, reviewing electronic and physical evidence and interviewing witnesses.
The parents of a 17-year-old boy who went on a shooting rampage at a small-town Iowa high school last week, killing a sixth-grader and injuring seven others, said in a statement Monday that they had no idea he intended such horrific violence. There wasn't.” To give. ”
Dylan Butler's parents said in a statement that they are cooperating with investigators “as they try to answer the question of why their son committed this senseless crime.”
Jack and Erin Butler said in a statement: “In the minutes and hours that have passed since our son Dylan inflicted terror on his victims, the Perry School, and the community, we continue to strive to make sense of the absurd. I've come,'' he said. “We are simply devastated and our grief is immeasurable for the deceased, their families, and the injured and their families.”
Shooting at Iowa school leaves 6th grade student dead and 5 others injured
Dylan Butler killed a student at Perry High School on the first day of class after winter break, injured the principal, two other staff members, and four other students, some seriously injured, before taking his own life. ended. The family of 11-year-old Amir Jorif plans to hold a funeral on Thursday, one week after the shooting.
On January 5, 2024, in Perry, Iowa, all entrances to the Perry Middle School and High School buildings are taped off. The parents of a 17-year-old boy who killed a sixth-grader and injured seven others in a mass shooting at a small-town Iowa high school last week said in a statement Monday: “There was no way he intended horrific violence.'' I didn't know that.'' To give. ” (AP Photo/Brion Woolgrave)
Investigators said they are reviewing a body of electronic and physical evidence they have collected and interviewing dozens of witnesses to better understand what happened and why. Ta. The Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which is leading the case, did not release any updates on the shooting Monday.
An FBI spokesperson said the FBI had not received any tips or information regarding Dylan Butler through the National Threat Operations Center prior to the shooting.
Also on Monday, hundreds of students and other protesters marched to the state Capitol in Des Moines, about 40 miles from Perry, calling for stricter gun laws in the state.
Iowa school shooting suspect dies of self-inflicted gunshot wound: Reports
The Butlers said they are grateful for “the grace that has been shown to us both publicly and privately” since the shooting. Support for the family is spreading, with residents offering to help on the town's Facebook group and volunteering to deliver meals.
Town scouts spent the weekend collecting teddy bears to give to Perry elementary school students, and residents eagerly ordered “Perry Stong” T-shirts, car decals, schoolyard signs and more to help pay for medical expenses for shooting victims. Collected donations to cover the costs. At the same time, Dylan's family is also being remembered. Also from the families of the students who were killed.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday night, the first words Amir's mother, Erica Jolliffe, spoke were mourning the boy who killed her son.
“Our condolences go out to Dylan's family. They are in our prayers and we are also deeply sorry for his death,” she said.
Erin Owen, administrator of the town's Facebook page and organizer of fundraisers for the victims, said there has been some backlash in the community to showing support for the Butler family, but most He said people are accepting it.
“I think there may be a narrow tunnel vision at first. Then as the community buys into it and gives a different perspective, it becomes more widely accepted.” “I am suffering from this,” he emphasized.
Families of school shooters are often demonized and questioned for potentially missing signs that something was wrong.
In Michigan, the parents of a teenager who killed four students at Oxford High School have been charged with manslaughter. James and Jennifer Crumbley are accused of allowing Ethan Crumbley access to guns in their home and ignoring his mental health needs.
Additionally, in the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre, Nancy Lanza, who legally purchased the gun found at the scene, is typically excluded from the number of people killed. Her son, Adam Lanza, killed her and then shot and killed 20 first graders and six educators.
One problem is a growing movement to deny mass murderers their posthumous notoriety and restrict the use of their names and images. Therefore, posthumous fame will not be a motive for future murders.
Officials release latest information on Iowa school shooting
Owen believes this is more practical than broad statements about forgiveness. Perry, with about 8,000 residents, is small enough that most people are touched in some way, but the town has seen other tragic deaths of children in recent years, and the community has been overwhelmed by the tragedy. She said she was prepared to respond.
Even those not directly affected knew someone with a child at the school or were close to Dylan's family. His father, director of the city's airport after years as public works director, won praise for cleaning up the city of Perry after devastating storms in 2020. His mother also owned a small business and served on the city's development commission.
“Everybody in town knows them, they're the kindest people, and everybody's hurting, so everybody's trying to at least come together on common ground,” he said. said Audi Solver, who registered to come.
