PERRY, IA – A tragic incident unfolded at Perry High School in Iowa on Thursday morning, resulting in multiple injuries due to a shooting, as confirmed by the county sheriff. The assailant, who has since been identified, is no longer alive. The sheriff’s office has not released further details regarding the number of casualties or the identity of the shooter.
Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante gave assurance that there is no ongoing threat to the public. As of late morning, all students had been accounted for and reunited with their families, many of whom had rushed to the school upon hearing the news of the incident.
The authorities’ response to the crisis was swift, with officers arriving on the scene within seven minutes of the 7:37 a.m. emergency call reporting an active shooter on campus. At the time of the incident, the school building was not heavily populated, according to Infante.
Several law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Iowa State Patrol, were involved in the response. The FBI is providing assistance to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the lead agency on the case.
The incident has caught the attention of the White House, with officials closely monitoring the situation. Perry, a small town located about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines, is home to roughly 8,000 residents. The Perry Community School District, which includes the high school, serves around 1,800 students.
The shooting occurred on what was supposed to be the first day of the new semester. Classes at Perry High School were subsequently canceled for the day. This incident adds to the increasing number of school shootings in the United States, with over 80 reported last year alone – the highest number since 2008.