Law enforcement has identified Dylan Butler, 17, of rural Perry as the shooter in Thursday’s incident at Perry High School.
In remarks delivered Thursday afternoon near Dewey Field in Perry, Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of field operations for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), said Butler was found at the scene with a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Mortvedt said five other victims were also found, including a sixth grader at the Perry Middle School who was mortally wounded. Four other students and one adult administrator suffered gunshot wounds, he said, but he did not further identify the victims or detail their wounds.
Butler was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun, Mortvedt said, and an improvised explosive device was also found at the scene and neutralized by agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the State Fire Marshall’s office.
“Law enforcement response was swift and immediate,” Mortvedt said. “Numerous officers from multiple agencies were able to secure the school and verify no additional threats. At the same time, first responders were rendering aid to the victims, who were later transported to area hospitals.”
Perry Police Chief Eric Vaughn was visibly moved during brief remarks he made to the assembled media.
“This community has been through tough times before and has rallied together. I’m sure this time will be no different,” Vaughn said. “Thank you for the community support we have seen and will continue to need in the future. All of our condolence goes the victims and their families. They need your thoughts and prayers as well as time and space to process and to grieve.”
Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh and Perry City Administrator Sven Peterson were among the many local officials at the press conference. They offered words of encouragement to their fellow Perry residents.
“We’ll get through it,” Cavanaugh said. “If I’d known we’d have something like this to deal with during my first week in office, I might not have put my name in the hat.”
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also attended and briefly spoke, praising the “immediate and courageous response of local law enforcement and the incredible coordination between local police, first responders, the Dallas County Sheriff’s office, the Iowa State Patrol, the DCI, the ATF, the FBI and multiple healthcare providers.”
The ongoing investigation is led by the DCI, with assistance from the Perry Police Department, Dallas County Sheriff’s office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, ATF and the Dallas County Attorney’s office.
ThePerryNews.com will update this story as information becomes available.
