One dead and several hurt in shooting at Iowa school

A SIXTH-GRADE student was shot dead and several more injured at a high school shooting in Iowa yestersday.

Police said Dylan Butler, a 17-year-old student, carried a pump-action shotgun and handgun into Perry High School, northwest of Des Moines, shortly before 7.40am as students returned from their Christmas break.

Butler, who was later discovered dead with self-inflicted gunshot wounds, left one student dead, one person in a critical condition and four others hospitalised.

Mitch Mortvedt, the assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said police also located “an improvised explosive device” on a search of the school after the alarm was raised.

“There were not many students. It is our understanding that there was a breakfast program going on,” he said.

“There may have been students of different grades in school at that time.”

One of the injured victims is thought to be a school administrator, while the other four are all students.

Kim Reynolds, Iowa’s governor, thanked about 150 officers who responded to the reports and secured the school.

“Their heroic actions today, we can say, saved lives,” she said.

Speaking at a press conference, Sheriff Adam Infante said police were first alerted to an “active shooter situation” at 7.37am and arrived at the scene within seven minutes. He added: “There is no further danger to the public. The community is safe. We’re just now working backwards, trying to figure out everything that happened.”

Joe Biden’s spokesman said the president was tracking the “tragic” incident.