Dallas County Attorney releases Perry school shooting report
DALLAS COUNTY, Iowa — The Dallas County Attorney's Office on Thursday released its report on the deadly school shooting at Perry High School in January.
On January 4th Perry High School student Dylan Butler,17, opened fire in the common area of the school, injuring six people and killing sixth-grade student Ahmir Jolliff and Principal Dan Marburger.
According to the report, Butler entered the school through the main entrance at around 7:12 a.m. with a pump-action shotgun, revolver, knife, and improvised explosive device (IED) that were all concealed. After entering the school Butler stayed in a restroom for about 20 minutes before carrying out the shooting.
At around 7:35 a.m. Butler entered the common area armed with the pump-action shotgun and began firing. The report states that within 24 seconds six people were shot and injured, including Jolliff and Marburger. Four students who were injured managed to escape from the school on their own.
According to the report, after hearing the initial gunshots then Assistant Principal Brad Snowgren activated the School Emergency Alert Response System (SEARS), alerting the Dallas County Communication Center of an active shooter at the school. The alert came ten seconds after the first gunshot and 25 seconds before the first 911 call.
The report states that Marburger confronted Butler multiple times in an attempt to get him to stop shooting, but Butler refused and shot Marburger. Suffering critical injuries, Marburger then exited the school.
Butler moved through the school and fired seemingly at random into classrooms and vacant hallways, the report found. Two staff members who were inside the school trying to get students out and to safety were struck by gunfire.
Story Archive: Deadly shooting at Perry High School
About one minute and twenty-eight seconds after the SEARS alert law enforcement officers began showing up on scene, the report states. Butler died by suicide before officers located him.
From when the first shot was fired to the last shot when Butler died by suicide four minutes and twenty-one seconds had passed, the report found. Bulter fired 23 rounds from the shotgun and in total wounded three staff members and five students. Of those injured two lost their lives — Jolliff and Marburger.
According to the attorney's office, the investigation conducted by the Department of Criminal Investigation included Butler's written and spoken words; over 180 interviews with family, friends, and witnesses; electronic data and social media data; video captured at the school; and much more.
As a result of the investigation, the attorney's office said it believes Butler acted alone in planning and carrying out the shooting and that "the evidence suggests his actions that morning were indiscriminate and driven by a desire to commit suicide with the hostile intent of taking others with him." They also said there was no evidence to suggest that anyone had any prior knowledge of the shooting.
The exact origin of the shotgun that was used is unconfirmed, the attorney's office said. The investigation revealed that the shotgun came from outside of his home and was taken without the owner's knowledge. The revolver Butler also had with him was unsecured in his home. The IED device that Butler brought to the school was found to be crudely made and if it had been denotated would have caused minor damage.
The attorney's office found that the shooting was significantly prepared and planned, but none of the victims were specifically targeted. The office also states that Butler likely displayed warning signs that went unrecognized or unreported.
No charges will be filed in connection to the shooting.
To read the full report see below:
Perry-School-Shooting-Report
