School shooter’s parents had ‘no inkling’ of plans
DES MOINES, Iowa – The parents of the youth who opened fire at a rural Iowa high school last week, killing a middle schooler and wounding seven others, said Monday they had “no inkling he intended the horrible violence” when they dropped him off at school that morning.
Jack and Erin Butler, the parents of 17-year-old Dylan Butler, released a statement through their attorney Monday. In the statement, the Butlers said their son had discussed future plans with them on the way to school and “it felt like he was ready to get back to school after Christmas vacation and the start of a new semester.”
“Dylan’s sister, our daughter, was in the school at the time of the shooting,” they wrote. “We simply do not understand how this could happen and why Dylan chose to do what he did.”
According to authorities and school officials, Dylan Butler was armed with a pump-action shotgun and a small-caliber handgun when he opened fire at Perry High School on Thursday, shortly before classes were set to begin on the first day back after winter break.
Ahmir Jolliff, 11, was killed. High school principal Dan Marburger, two staff members and four teenage students were injured. Butler died of a selfinflicted gunshot after the shootings, authorities said.
Butler’s parents added that they “would never wish the harm and pain that Dylan’s actions caused on anyone and we could not have imagined that Dylan would carry out such a heinous act.”
“Our family has to mourn and bury our son, and live with this terrible legacy,” they said. “We cannot repay the grace we have been shown in public and private. We are helping authorities and will continue to help to provide answers to the question of why our son committed this senseless crime.” Earlier Monday, Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, said state investigators will consider the possibility of whether Butler may have been bullied, as some friends of his told The Associated Press.
“Not only that, but any and all angles that could lead to maybe answering part of why or all of why, the motive,” Mortvedt said. “Everything from (if Butler was bullied) to health to personal issues, whether it’s friends, family, school. If you can think of it, we’re trying to look into it.”
Mortvedt acknowledged that in murder-suicide investigations, it’s not always possible to determine a motive.
“That’s certainly something that we hope we can get to the bottom of,” Mortvedt said.
Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents helped disassemble an improvised explosive device that investigators believe Butler is responsible for, according to Ron Humphrey, a special agent with the Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Mortvedt declined to say how Butler may have gotten access to the weapons or how he got a shotgun into the school.
On Monday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds extended her order that all flags on state grounds be flown at half-staff until sunset Thursday.