It’s Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.
This is a special edition of Iowa Starting Line.
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As the state reels from a school shooting at Perry High School on Jan. 4, more details are coming out about the 11-year-old victim, the principal who put himself in the line of fire to save lives, and how students are demanding justice instead of platitudes as the Iowa Legislature kicks off today.
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Five were injured and one (besides the gunman) was killed—11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, a sixth-grader who loved choir, band, soccer, and playing video games and board games. Details on his visitation and funeral are here.
“Ahmir was a vibrant soul, known for his infectious smile and boundless energy,” his obituary reads. “Ahmir was not just a bright light; he was a steadfast defender of justice. He stood up against bullies, championing those who needed a voice and ensuring that kindness prevailed.”
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And a high school administrator is being hailed as saving lives.
Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger tried to talk gunman Dylan Butler down before the 17-year-old gunman shot the longtime administrator and five others at the school, according to Marburger’s daughter, Claire.
“It is absolutely zero surprise to hear he tried to approach and talk Dylan down and distract him long enough for some students to get out of the cafeteria,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “That’s just Dad.”
Marburger, who has worked for the district since 1995, continues to be hospitalized.
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Processing trauma and grief
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Perry students spoke about what they witnessed and described their trauma during a Thursday night vigil.
“I haven’t been able to think clearly at all, all day,” said Hunter Ayers, a junior at Perry High School who had been at the school for an early-morning jazz band practice.
Candles were passed out and lit, comfort dogs were available, and there were offerings of water, hot chocolate, pop, and juice. There were also T-shirts that said “Perry Strong.”
“It really sucked today, and I really didn’t like it,” said freshman Dakota H. “But I’m glad everyone that is safe made it out, and sending prayers to whoever passed away.”
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More than thoughts and prayers, students and some legislators demand action
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On Monday afternoon, hundreds of students attended a rally organized by gun violence awareness group March for Our Lives Iowa.
Chanting “No more silence, end gun violence,” they took over the Iowa Capitol rotunda demanding attention from Iowa’s lawmakers.
In recent years, Iowa Republicans—who decide what laws are passed since they hold majorities in the Iowa House and Senate—have made it easier to own, keep, and carry firearms throughout the state. They even passed a law that allowed firearms to be kept in cars on school grounds last year.
That’s the wrong approach, students said Monday.
Instead, “we must close misdemeanor loopholes,” said Trey Jackson, an organizer with March for Our Lives Iowa. “We must mandate the reporting of lost or stolen firearms. And we must stop the ghost guns fueling our underground gun market.”
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Rightwing trolls quickly took advantage of the school shooting on Twitter (X), either by blaming the shooting on the LGBTQ+ community, or by saying the whole event was a “false flag” distraction from news about Jeffrey Epstein. (Besides being an incredibly callous and tone-deaf response to the tragedy, none of it was true.)
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What was true: The shooter was bullied, according to friends, and found a dark kinship on a Discord server dedicated to planning school shootings, according to NBC News. He also made a racist post on there before the shooting, after which he killed a Black student. The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation said it “seized large volumes of digital and social media evidence that will take time to review.” Discord said the server in question had been shut down.
- Copycat? 18-year-old Lakeeve Fort of West Des Moines was arrested on the same day as the Perry shooting and charged with felony terrorism after sharing an old Snapchat post with friends that asked, “Should I shoot up the school?”
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On Friday, one day after the shooting, former President Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Sioux Center, and said this about the shooting:
“It’s just horrible to see that happening. It’s just horrible. So surprising to see it here. But, uh, we have to get over it. We have to move forward.”
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Thanks for reading.
This newsletter was written by Amie Rivers.
Iowa Starting Line is happily free to read for everyone.
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