Shooting at Perry High School
There is a police presence at Perry High School in response to reports of a shooting in Perry, Iowa. (ThePerryNews.com / LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)
Multiple people were injured in a shooting at an Iowa high school on Thursday morning, authorities said.
At approximately 7:37 a.m., police received reports of an active scene at Perry High School in Perry. Officers responded within seven minutes of the active shooter alarm, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante told reporters.
The total number of victims and their status have not been confirmed. Infante said authorities are working to determine that information and that there is no further danger to the public.
"The community is safe," the sheriff said. "We're just now working backwards, trying to figure out everything that happened and make notifications. There will be another update later on today."
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Multiple police agencies responded to reports of an active shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The Associated Press reported two gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the state capital of Des Moines.
A law enforcement source told the AP the suspect in the shooting has died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Law enforcement officers work at the scene of a shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday. (REUTERS/Scott Morgan)
Infante said the shooting happened before school began.
"Luckily, there was very few students and faculty in the building, which I think contributed to a good outcome in that sense," he said.
Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway waiting for the school day to start when he heard gunshots and dashed into a classroom, his father, Kevin Shelley, told the AP. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father at 7:36 a.m.
Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. "It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life," he said.
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A police vehicle is parked outside Perry High School in Perry, Iowa. (WOI)
Rachael Kares, an 18-year-old senior, told the AP she was at jazz band practice when students heard what sounded like four gunshots, spaced apart.
"We all just jumped," Kares said. "My band teacher looked at us and yelled, ‘Run!’ So we ran."
Kares said students and faculty ran out past the football field, with people yelling, "Get out! Get out!" as they ran. She said she heard additional shots while she fled, but was most concerned about getting home to her 3-year-old son.
"At that moment I didn’t care about anything except getting out because I had to get home with my son," she told the AP.
Police respond to Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, on Thursday. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
The sheriff's office, Perry Police Department and multiple federal agencies also responded to the shooting.
Authorities have identified a suspect but have not released their name at this time, the sheriff said.
Multiple EMS vehicles were sent to the scene at 1200 18th Street, according to public safety radio traffic.
Federal agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also said they were on the ground.
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Perry High School belongs to the Perry Community School District, about 25 miles northwest of Des Moines. About 1,785 students are enrolled in the school district, according to its website.
Thursday was the first day of school after the winter break, according to the school's calendar.
"Our hearts are broken by this senseless tragedy. Our prayers are with the students, teachers & families of the Perry Community," Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. "I have been in contact with law enforcement agencies & am continuing to monitor the situation. I will be joining their press conference today."
A second press conference will be held Thursday afternoon to discuss new details as they are learned.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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