Dylan Butler id as Perry Iowa high school shooter that killed student, injured five (including principal) before killing self. Posted on TikTok prior to shooting forewarning of what was to come. Previous posts alluded to gun violence, issues struggling with transgender and nihilism.
A teenage shooter at an Iowa high school is reported to have killed a fellow student, injured five others, including the school principal before then then fatally turning the gun on himself.
Dylan Butler, 17, who was a senior at Perry High School, opened fire on Thursday morning – shooting dead a sixth grader who attended Perry’s Middle School.
Butler was armed with a pump-action shotgun and handgun – both of which are illegal for a 17-year-old to obtain in Iowa. He also had a rudimentary explosive device – which was undetonated and was later rendered safe by fire marshalls.
Perry school shooter was always bullied, school did nothing
Perry school shooter posted suicide on Instagram
Perry high school shooter struggled with transgender issues
‘Now we wait.’
The 17-year-old died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound by the time first responders arrived at the school, just on 7.47am. The school shooting led to a mass evacuation of 1,785 students on their first day of classes after winter break. The teen gunman started firing just on thirteen minutes before school was suppose to start.
One of the five people injured was the school’s principal, Dan Marburger, who was rushed to hospital and is currently in surgery for his gunshot wounds, the DesMoinRegister reported
The other four people injured were students. Of the five, one is in critical condition – although police did not confirm if this was the principal or a student.
Hours before the shooting took place at 7:37 am, Butler posted on TikTok under the handle @tooktoomuch (since removed) posing in what appeared to be the school bathroom, with the caption: ‘Now we wait.’
The senior pulled an odd face, as a blue duffle bag sat on the ground of the stall.
Perry high school suspect shooting boy’s Tiktok account Dylan Butler
It all starts with jokes and signs of it
Weirdos have something in common always— Kelz Tbg (@KelzTbg) January 5, 2024
‘Stray bullet, from the barrel of love.’
Butler posted the TikTok selfie with the song ‘Stray Bullet’ by rock group KMFDM playing in the background.
The song infamously was used on the personal website of Eric Harris, one of the shooters of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.
Cryptic lyrics include: ‘I’m your nightmare coming true, I am your worst enemy,’ and ‘Stray bullet, from the barrel of love.’
In December, just weeks before the shooting, Butler posted another video on the same social media account of him sitting on children’s playground equipment with a friend, pretending to be in a gun fight using sticks. Butler gets ‘shot’ by the stick, and falls down the children’s slide.
A further regard of Dylan Butler’s TikTok account revealed the Perry school shooter displaying a pride flag in his bio, suggesting an affiliation with the LGBTQ community. In another post the teen shooter used the hashtag #genderfluid.
Butler had more than 250 followers before his account was shut down.
Of note, Dylan Butler is the son of Jack Butler, the manager of the Perry Municipal Airport and former public works director for the city of Perry. Family members to date have declined to address media queries.
No known motive
County Sherriff Adam Infante during a 11am press conference said that police officers arrived at the high school seven minutes after the first call was made.
The first responders found ‘multiple gunshot victims’ inside the school – and at a press conference at 3pm, police confirmed the number of injured was five. The Sheriff said there were few people in the building at the time of the shooting, because the school day had not started yet.
Thursday was the first day back after the winter break for the 1,785 students who study at the Perry Community School District.
Carlos, who is a student at Perry High School, told WHO 13 that he and his friends thought the ‘loud bangs’ were part of a prank at first – before a teacher started screaming at students to ‘leave, leave, leave.’
Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway waiting for the first day of school after break to start when he heard gunshots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley.
‘Love your trans kids’.
The teenager was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his dad at 7:36am, the dailymail reported.
Rachael Kares, an 18-year-old senior, was wrapping up jazz band practice when she and her bandmates heard what she described as four gunshots, spaced apart.
‘We all just jumped,’ Kares said. ‘My band teacher looked at us and yelled, `Run!´ So we ran.’
Kares and many others from the school ran out past the football field, as she heard people yelling, ‘Get out! Get out!’
Perry Elementary School and Perry Middle School – which are nearby to the high school – were evacuated and buildings were cleared by 8:32 am.
Multiple victims were transported to MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, a hospital spokesperson confirmed.
Struggling with transgender issues
Two gunshot victims are being treated at Iowa Methodist Medical Center.
Linda Andorf, board president for the Perry Community School District, said: ‘It is horrendously awful. People need to figure out their life.
‘This is just disgusting. It’s terrible.’
Iowa authorities have yet to say what motivated the 17 year old. Nevertheless a regard of saved screenshots of Dylan Butler’s TikTok account alluded to gender fluidity, gay rights along with transgender themes, including one post that read, ‘Love your trans kids’.
In March of 2023, Audrey Hale a transgender teen shot up her religious Christian school on account of not being accepted for her/his identity.
Of note, President Biden’s former Nuclear Energy official Sam Brinton, openly trans, went to the same high school as Dylan in Perry.
Perry is a very diverse, working class suburb of Des Moines. Total population is estimated at 8,000.
