Missed warning signs, heroic acts highlight final Perry School shooting investigation
PERRY, Iowa (KCRG) - The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation described a suicidal gunman who attacked heroic students and staff inside Perry High School, while noting missed warning signs and unanswered questions of how he got the gun used in the attack.
On Friday, the DCI released new details of its investigation into the 17-year-old student who opened fire on January 4th at the high school. That shooting killed 11-year-old Ahmir Joliff and wounded six others before the gunman took his own life. Principal Dan Marburger was one of those wounded and died from those wounds 10 days later.
On Thursday, the Dallas County Attorney announced it would not file any other criminal charges connected with the shooting. The investigation concluded Butler had acted alone in the shooting.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens said the state would not share some details, citing privacy laws, fears of copycat attacks and wanting to avoid harming victims or giving the shooter the publicity he sought. Bayens did not say the gunman’s name during the news conference.
The DCI investigation found no evidence that bullying played a role in the motivation for the shooting. Investigators said the gunman left a note indicating he sought fame and intended to take his own life.
“All the available evidence points to this shooter being in the suicidal category,” Bayens said. “There is no evidence this shooter held a belief system and, in fact, all the evidence shows this shooter was disjointed, fractured and inconsistent in thought.”
Bayens said the gunman used a shotgun in the shooting. Investigators were able to trace the shotgun to purchases 10-15 years ago but said the trail “went cold” at that point and could not track it through private sales records. However, investigators concluded it likely came from a large collection and was taken without the owner’s knowledge.
The gunman also had a handgun taken from his parents but never used it in the shooting. Bayens said the parents had discussed the location of the handgun and that it was left accessible to the gunman. The explosive device he used was made from fireworks and deemed relatively harmless even if it had detonated.
Bayens said there were some warning signs regarding the shooter‘s fascination with school shootings and troubling behaviors, but those behaviors went unrecognized and unreported, adding that the shooter had broad behavioral and mental health concerns with no prior reports of violent tendencies. Bayens said school privacy laws prevented detailing the documented history of the gunman’s behavior.
“There were individuals that knew information that should have generated concerns to the point of contacting law enforcement,” Bayens said.
In this case, the shooter appeared to show signs of fascination with prior school shootings. Bayens said the shooter had told friends and people online about those fascinations and urged the public to report those types of warning signs to law enforcement.
Investigators say the shooter shifted to planning and preparation for the shooting approximately 6 weeks to a month before the shooting.
Fighting back tears, Bayens described the heroic actions of students, staff and law enforcement on the day of the shooting and called out some for going above and beyond.
“I can tell you the staff and students responded appropriately and heroically.”
Principal Marburger was hailed as a hero immediately after the shooting, and investigators provided more detail to that effect. Investigators said Marburger was shot in the initial moments of the attack but continued to call out to the shooter by name and urging him to stop. Investigators said that distracted the shooter‘s attention to help save students’ lives.
“He was an absolute hero,” Bayens concluded.
Bayens also called out Assistant Principal Brad Snowgren, who activated the school emergency alert system within the first 10 seconds, while ducking gunfire, to alert law enforcement.
Bayens said law enforcement who responded acted quickly, getting inside within seconds of arriving on the scene, not waiting for backup.
Bayens called for a holistic approach to prevent future school shootings, including active parenting, reporting warning signs to law enforcement, and investing in training and safety protocols for schools to deal with student mental health. Bayens did not mention any specific law changes but highlighted efforts since the shooting to train teachers and staff, launch the Safe and Sound system of reporting threats, supply emergency radios and fund safety improvements to schools. Bayens also noted an ongoing school safety task force to investigate and develop policies to help prevent school violence.
In September, the Dallas County Attorney initially refused to release details of the investigation into the shooting. That drew criticism from open records advocates and others questioning how the 17-year-old contained the firearm and whether anyone else could have acted sooner to prevent the shooting.
Watch the full news conference:
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