Iowa school shooting: 17-year-old teen, bullied by peers, kills sixth grader, injures 5
Iowa school shooting (Getty Images)
A 17-year-old student at Perry High School in Iowa shot and killed a sixth grader and injured four other students and a school administrator before killing himself. Before the incident, the boy, who was bullied at school made a series of odd posts on social media, particularly on TikTok, according to AP News and NBC News.
The shooter used a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun. The shooter, identified as Dylan Butler, appeared to have acted alone. The incident occurred before regular school hours, but a breakfast program was underway with only a few students present on campus. The police also found an explosive device, which was safely handled by authorities.
The victim's identity hasn't been disclosed, but officials say the others who were hurt are expected to recover. The Governor, Kim Reynolds, described the shooting as a "senseless tragedy" that has deeply affected Perry and the entire state.
The motive behind the shooting
Investigators are trying to find out why the suspect did what he did. They are checking his social media posts, including ones on TikTok and Reddit. Before the shooting, he posted a picture on TikTok from inside the school bathroom with the caption "now we wait". He also posted pictures with guns.
The shooter posted on TikTok (WFLA)
According to an official familiar with the investigation, federal and state investigators are talking to Butler's friends and looking closely at his social media accounts.
Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, along with their mother, Alita, mentioned that Butler had been bullied for a long time, especially since elementary school. The bullying became worse when his younger sister also started facing it. His parents talked to the school about it, but it didn't stop, and that's when Butler reached a breaking point.
"He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," said Yesenia Roeder Hall. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no."
Shootings in the U.S.
This incident is one of the many that happened in the U.S. For example, on Christmas two teenage brothers were arrested in Florida after their sister died in a fight over Christmas presents. 23-year-old sister, who had a 10-month-old son, was shot in the chest by her 14-year-old brother.
On December 25, a fatal shooting happened at the Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs, resulting in one death and three injuries. The shooting happened after a fight broke out between two groups.
On December 14, there was a shooting in Muskegon, Michigan, that resulted in the death of a 20-year-old resident.
The issue of shootings is a heating topic for gun control debate in the U.S. President Joe Biden reacted and appealed to the GOP, urging them to cooperate on gun control measures in response to recent shootings in Texas and Nevada amid a "gun violence epidemic."
