UPDATE: 5 Injured, 6th-grader Dead In Shooting At Perry High School In Iowa

3 P.M. UPDATE

At 3 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, officials gave an update on the school shooting that took place at Perry High School in Perry, IA which is in Dallas County.

Officials have identified the shooter as 17-year-old Dylan Butler, a student at Perry High School. Butler was found by law enforcement with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was armed with a shotgun and handgun.

Six gunshot victims were reported by officials. One of those victims, a sixth-grade child, was the only victim who had died. Of the other victims, four students were reported as injured along with an administrator who has been identified as Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger. None of the students have been identified.

Another new piece of information in this story was that officials say an improvised explosion device was found within Perry High School. The explosive device was disarmed and removed from the high school by trained agencies.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds was also at the press conference. Gov. Reynolds gave praise to the many law enforcement agencies and first responders who responded to Perry High School. She says the response is 'tremendous' and that she is 'grateful'.

At 7:37 a.m. Thursday morning, police received reports of an active shooter at Perry High School. Read the original story and updates given this morning by clicking here or scrolling below.

12 P.M. UPDATE:

NBC affiliate WHO in Des Moines along with NBC News say that multiple law enforcement officials told The Associated Press and other members of the press that the suspect died via a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police said multiple people were shot Thursday at the high school and the official says at least one of the victims is a school administrator, Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger, according to WHO.

Several political leaders have commented on the shooting at Perry High School on Thursday morning, including Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

Senator Grassley said,

"Todays appalling violence at Perry HS is heartbreaking Barbara and I are grateful for quick response by school officials  and law enforcement to protect students and restore safety. The Perry community is strong and will band together thru hard time. I'm here to help if additional federal resources are needed."

Governor Reynolds said,

"Our hearts are broken by this senseless tragedy. Our prayers are with the students, teachers, and families of the Perry Community. I have been in contact with law enforcement agencies and am continuing to monitor the situation. I will be joining their press conference today."

Perry Elementary School officials said there is no school on Friday and counseling services will be available at the public library for people in need.

WHO in Des Moines reports that the next potential press conference should happen around 3 p.m. CST.

ORIGINAL (10 A.M. PRESS CONFERENCE):

A reported active shooter came in early Thursday morning at a high school just northwest of Des Moines, according to NBC News. The Dallas County Sheriff's Office confirmed the active shooter situation and multiple law enforcement agencies are on the scene.

Ambulances and medical helicopters were seen going to and leaving the high school. A MercyOne Hospital spokesperson said that victims from the high school are headed their way, according to NBC News. Adam Infante

During a press conference at 10 a.m., Adam Infante, the Dallas County Sheriff, said that at approximately 7:37 a.m., the first reports came in that there was an active shooter situation at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa located in Dallas County.

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the situation this morning including the Perry Police Department, Iowa State Troopers, and others. FBI agents from the Omaha-Des Moines office were on the scene to help with the investigation led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Officials say an officer responded 7 minutes later to the initial report and that there are multiple gunshot victims. There is no more danger to the public. The shooter has been indented but the status and name of the shoot aren't confirmed. No other information has been released.

Perry High School is about 40 miles northwest of Des Moines. The Perry Community School District has 1,785-student with the town having a population of about 8,000 residents.

This story is currently developing. More details will be released later this afternoon at another press conference. The time of that has yet to be set.