US: Police say 17-year-old killed sixth-grader, wounded 5 in Iowa school shooting
Perry (US), Jan 5: A 17-year-old opened fire at a small-town Iowa high school on the first day of school after the winter break, killing a sixth-grader and wounding five others on Thursday as students barricaded in offices, ducked into classrooms and fled in panic.
The suspect, a student at the school in Perry, died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation official said. Authorities said one of the five people wounded was an administrator, and later identified as Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger by an eastern Iowa school district where he graduated from high school.
Authorities identified the shooter as Dylan Butler, 17, and provided no information about a possible motive. Two friends and their mother who spoke with The Associated Press said Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied for years.
Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (65 kilometres) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital's metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant, and low-slung, single-story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter. The high school and middle school are connected, sitting on the east edge of the town.
Authorities said the shooter had a pump-action shotgun and a small-calibre handgun. Mitch Mortvedt, the state investigation division's assistant director, said during a news conference that authorities also found a "pretty rudimentary" improvised explosive device and rendered it safe.
The suspect's motive is being investigated and authorities are looking into "a number of social media posts" he made around the time of the shooting, Mortvedt added.
Sisters Yesenia Roeder and Khamya Hall, both 17, said alongside their mother, Alita, that Butler was bullied relentlessly since elementary school, but it escalated recently when his younger sister started getting picked on, too. Officials at the school did not intervene, they said, and that was "the last straw" for Butler.
"He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment," Yesenia Roeder Hall, 17, said. "Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no."
Perry High School senior Ava Augustus said she was awaiting a counsellor in a school office when she heard three shots. Unable to flee through a small window, she and others barricaded the door and were ready to throw things if necessary.
"And then we hear 'He is down. You can go out,'" Augustus said through tears. "And I run and you can just see glass everywhere, blood on the floor. I get to my car and they are taking a girl out of the auditorium who had been shot in her leg."
Three gunshot victims were being treated at Iowa Methodist Medical Centre in Des Moines, a spokesperson said. Others were taken to a second Des Moines hospital, a spokesperson for MercyOne Des Moines Medical Centre confirmed.
Mortvedt said one person was in critical condition but the injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. The other victims were stable, he said.
Community members gathered for a vigil on Thursday evening at a park. A post on the high school's Facebook page said it would be closed on Friday and counselling services would be available for students, faculty and members of the community.
Governor Kim Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa lowered to half-staff.
"This senseless tragedy has shaken our entire state to its core," she said.
In Washington, President Joe Biden and US Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed on the shooting. FBI agents from the Omaha-Des Moines office are assisting with the investigation led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
The shooting occurred in the backdrop of Iowa's looming first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had a 9 am campaign event scheduled in Perry about one-and-a-half miles (2.4 kilometres) from the school but cancelled it to hold a prayer and intimate discussion with area residents.
Mass shootings across the US have long brought calls for stricter gun laws from gun safety advocates, and Thursday's did within hours. But that idea has been a non-starter for many Republicans, particularly in rural, GOP-leaning states like Iowa.
As of July 2021, Iowa does not require a permit to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public, though it mandates a background check for anyone buying a handgun without a permit.
Ramaswamy said the shooting is a sign of a "psychological sickness" in the country. In Des Moines, GOP rival and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said gun violence "is more of a local and state issue" in an interview with the Des Moines Register and NBC News.
The high school in Perry is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. The town is more diverse than Iowa as a whole. Census figures show 31 per cent of the residents are Hispanic, compared to less than 7 per cent statewide. Those figures also show nearly 19 per cent of the town's residents were born outside the US.
Authorities said an active shooter was reported at 7:37 am on Thursday and officers arrived within minutes. Emergency vehicles surrounded the complex.
"Officers immediately attempted to locate the source of the threat and quickly found what appeared to be the shooter with a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Mortvedt said.
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Govt's reform trajectory will continue with even more vigour in coming times: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the government's reform trajectory will continue with even more vigour in the coming times as it is committed to boosting 'Ease of Living'.
The prime minister made this observation on a series of posts by the central government on its various reform initiatives.
"Ours is a Government committed to boosting 'Ease of Living' and this thread below gives examples of how we have worked in that direction. Our reform trajectory will continue with even more vigour in the coming times," Modi said.
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With the hashtags #ReformInAction & #GoodGovernance, the central government said in the posts that the real test of reform is whether it reduces stress for people and 2025 marked a clear shift in governance, with reforms focused on outcomes, not complexity.
Simpler tax laws, faster dispute resolution, modern labour codes, and decriminalised compliance reduced friction for citizens and businesses alike. The emphasis was on trust, predictability, and long-term growth, showing how well-designed policy can quietly improve everyday life, the posts by MyGovIndia said.
For millions of Indians, tax relief became real. Incomes up to Rs 12 lakh attract zero tax. Middle-class families now retain more of what they earn, giving them flexibility to spend, save and invest with greater confidence, it stated.
It said the Income Tax Act, 2025 streamlined compliance and brought clarity, transparency, and fairness to the direct tax system, making it more taxpayer friendly and aligned with today's needs.
Small businesses can now grow without fear of losing benefits. Higher investment and turnover limits allow MSMEs to expand while retaining access to loans and tax incentives. This encourages scaling up, hiring more workers, and building stronger local enterprises
Rural employment now creates assets, not just wages. With extended guaranteed employment and a focus on village infrastructure, rural labour is now building permanent assets that strengthen communities and livelihoods, it said.
It observed that workers no longer need to navigate dozens of laws as 29 labour laws were simplified into four clear codes covering wages, safety, social security, and relations.
Rights are clearer, compliance is easier, and women benefit from assured maternity and workplace protections, it stated.
The government also stated that GST has been made simpler for businesses and consumers alike.
With streamlined tax slabs, easier registration, automated processes, and faster refunds, the next generation of GST reforms is improving ease of doing business.The impact is clear in record Diwali sales of Rs 6.05 trillion and the strongest Navratri shopping in over a decade, it said.
It also said that businesses can now bring products to market faster.
With rationalised Quality Control Orders, Indian manufacturers face lower compliance costs, improved efficiency, and greater strength in global markets. More room to grow for Indian businesses, the government said in the posts.
The expanded definition of small companies reduced compliance burden and costs, allowing enterprises with turnovers up to Rs 100 crore to focus on innovation and expansion, it added.
