By Canadian Press

Suspect in Iowa high school shooting dead, authorities say

Jan 4, 2024 | 8:12 AM

PERRY, Iowa (AP) — The suspect in a shooting at an Iowa high school has died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Police say multiple people were shot Thursday at the high school in Perry, Iowa, and the official says at least one of the victims is a school administrator.

The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.

Emergency services found multiple gunshot victims when responding to the shooting, police said, adding there was no ongoing threat to the community.

Perry police, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Omaha Des Moines resident agency and ATF confirmed they were responding to the shooting.

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Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said the shooter has been identified during a morning news conference. He did not offer any further details on the shooter’s condition.

An enormous number of emergency vehicles surrounded the building that houses the town’s middle school and high school.

Erica Jolliff said that her daughter, a ninth grader, reported getting rushed from the school grounds at 7:45 am. Distraught, Jolliff was still looking for her son Amir, a sixth grader, one hour later.

“I just want to know that he’s safe and OK,” Jolliff said.

“They won’t tell me nothing.”

The high school is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. Thursday was the first day back in school for students following the holiday break.

Phone messages left with the Perry School Board’s president and vice president, and an email message left with Superintendent Clark Wicks, were not immediately returned.

Perry is about 40 miles (64.37 kilometers) miles northwest of Des Moines.

The shooting occurred in the backdrop of the Iowa caucuses and not far from where Republican candidates were campaigning.

— with files from CHAT News