Iowa school shooting: 6th grader killed identified as Ahmir Jolliff, 11; 7 others injured
PERRY, Iowa — Officials say that the sixth-grader who was killed in Thursday's mass shooting at an Iowa high school was 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, and added that seven others were injured by the shooter in the melee.
Jolliff was a student of Perry Middle School, and died as a result of three separate gunshot wounds.
In all, three staff members and four other students sustained injuries from the shooting. The suspect was identified as 17-year-old Dylan Butler. A student at the high school, Butler died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
One of the victims was the school's principal, Dan Marburger. According to his daughter's Facebook post, he was in surgery all day Thursday, but is in stable condition.
"Marburger acted selflessly and placed himself in harm's way in an apparent effort to protect his students. At this time, Principal Marburger and two students remain hospitalized. The remaining have been treated and released," Division of Criminal Investigation Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt said Friday.
Both Jolliff and Butler have been examined by the Iowa State Medical Examiner.
Officials on Friday updated that there will be no classes for high school students all next week, and elementary and middle school students will not return until next Friday.
The shooting began early in the morning, before most students were at the school, officials said Thursday. It was students' first day back from winter break. Police received reports of the shooting at 7:37 a.m. and were on the site within seven minutes to find students and faculty sheltering in place and fleeing the building.
Investigators are continuing to search for a motive for the shooting.
As of July 2021, Iowa does not require a permit to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public, though it mandates a background check for a person buying a handgun without a permit.
MORE: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, President Joe Biden react to Perry High School shooting
Perry has a population of about 8,000. The school district has about 1,800 total students, with about 575 in grades 9 through 12.
