Worthy Christian News > US News > Gunman Dead After Shooting At Iowa High School; Prayers Said For Victims, Community

Gunman Dead After Shooting At Iowa High School; Prayers Said For Victims, Community

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

PERRY, USA (Worthy News) – Police in the U.S. state of Iowa say the gunman who shot multiple people at a high school on students’ first day back in classes has died.

Two gunshot victims were reportedly taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in the state capital of Des Moines, about 64 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of Perry, where the shooting occurred.

Several other patients whose conditions were unknown were rushed to a second facility, officials said. Among those shot was a school administrator, according to investigators.

Police said Thursday’s shooting at the high school in Perry, a community of about 8,000 people, occurred before classes were set to start.

There were few students at the Perry High School when the shooter approached and noticed Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante. “School didn’t start yet, luckily, so there were very few students and faculty in the building, which I think contributed to a good outcome in that sense,” he told reporters.

The active shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. local time Thursday morning, and officers arrived seven minutes later, Infante added.

However, investigators believe the gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Worthy News monitored.

MANY EMERGENCY VEHICLES

As the tragedy unfolded, an “enormous number” of emergency vehicles surrounded the building that houses the town’s middle school and high school, witnesses said.

Thursday’s shooting occurred in the backdrop of the Iowa political caucuses and not far from where Republican presidential candidates were campaigning, police said.

However, the motive of the gunman wasn’t clear.

Republican presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said he converted an already scheduled campaign event in Perry, Iowa, into an opportunity “to speak and pray” with residents shaken by the shootings at the nearby high school.

“We pray for the victims of the tragic high school shooting in Perry, Iowa. I happened to be there today right after it happened. We canceled our event and converted it to a prayer and open conversation,” he wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Strikingly, the first two people who spoke to us each said they ‘weren’t surprised’ and that it was just a matter of time before something like this happened. We have a psychological sickness at the core of our country right now,” Ramaswamy added.

The United States has seen numerous school shootings. Thursday’s incident came amid an ongoing debate about gun violence in the country where carrying firearms is protected by the U.S. Constitution.