11 year old Ahmir Joliff, nicknamed “Smiley” at home, started his day last Friday by rushing out the door several minutes ahead of his mother and older sister to get to Perry Middle School, where he was a 6th grader. Ahmir, a perpetually smiling dimpled boy, loved soccer. played tuba and sang in the school choir. He also kept an unlocked chest of toys in the front yard for anyone to come by and play with.
Once at school, which shared a campus with Perry High School, Ahmir headed to the High School cafeteria to get breakfast before the school day started and visit with his friends on this first day of school after winter break.
What Ahmir didn’t know was that 17-year old Dylan Butler was hiding in one of the high school bathrooms with a pump-action shotgun and a small caliber handgun. While waiting, Butler posted a TikTok video of himself waiting with a caption of “Now we wait” with a background song titled “Stray Bullet.”
At 7:37 a.m., 911 dispatchers began getting calls about an active shooter at Perry High school. Response was rapid and responders began arriving on the scene just 7 minutes later, but it was already too late. Ahmir “Smiley” Joliff was dead, shot three times by Butler, and the high school principal and six others, four students and two factulty members, were wounded. High School Principal Dan Marburger may well have saved lives when he confronted Butler and tried to talk him down in order to distract him and give students time to flee the cafeteria. For his efforts, the “gentle giant” (as his daughter described him), Marburger was shot and was taken to a Des Moines hospital in critical condition, where he underwent surgery (word is he is in stable condition and recovering well). Meanwhile, during the shooting Perry Middle School Assistant Principal Adam Jessen performed his own heroics, scooping up a wounded student in his arms and carrying them to safety.
Butler himself, after opening fire in the cafeteria, fled into the high school hallways where he then killed himself just outside Room 308. Authorities would also find a primitive explosive device Butler had left behind, but it was safely disarmed.
Butler’s friends told news agencies that Dylan had been “relentlessly bullied” since elementary school, and things had gotten worse recently when his younger sister also began to be bullied as well. “He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment,” Yesenia Roeder Hall said. “Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”
Superintendent Clark Wicks commented, when asked about the bullying, that “We take every bullying situation seriously and our goal is to always have that safe and inviting atmosphere.”
For her part Erica Joliff, Ahmir’s mother, has shown amazing grace and understanding despite losing her dimpled, smiling son, saying in an interview, “We send our condolences to the family of Dylan; they’re in our prayers and we’re truly sorry for his loss as well.” Joliff also said “I just pray that what we lost isn’t in vain and that other things can be put in place with the school system,” Jolliff said.
And now a small city of barely 8,000 and a school district of 1,800 students mourns and asks how this could happen.
Teddy Bear Drive
Boy Scout Troop 127 of Perry has organized a “Teddy Bear Drive” to try to collect a stuffed animal for each student at Perry Elementary School. If you’d like to contribute and are not local, cash donations can be sent via Venmo @Tstems. Donations will be accepted through Wednesday, January 11th.
Reactions to the shooting
The White House:
"We're just a couple of days into the New Year and we're talking about another shooting, and that is heartbreaking and heart-wrenching... And we're going to continue to call on Congress to act.
"We created the first Anti-Gun Violence Office which is incredibly important. It's helping — it's going to help communities like the community in Iowa, but we also have to implement these more than two dozen executive actions that the president signed into law."
Former President Donald Trump:
“To the entire community, we love you, we pray for you, and we ask God to heal and comfort, really, the whole state. We’re really with you as much as anybody can be. It’s a very terrible thing that happened. It's just terrible. That’s just horrible. It’s so surprising to see it here."
"But we have to get over it. We have to move forward. To all the relatives, and all the people who are devastated right now, to the point they can't breathe, they can’t live, we are with you all the way.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds:
"Our hearts are broken by this senseless tragedy. Our prayers are with the students, teachers & families of the Perry Community.
"I have been in contact with law enforcement agencies & am continuing to monitor the situation. I will be joining their press conference today."
Rita Hart, Chair of the Iowa Democratic Party:
“I am so sad and so sorry that the Perry community is living this nightmare that has happened far too often across our country.
"Our schools have always been places of hope and support, where students go to learn new skills and gain the experiences that lead them to future success. Our students should be able to focus on creating brighter futures for themselves while they are in their classrooms, not looking for escape routes, hiding places, or fearing for their safety.
"The Perry community deserves better. Iowa deserves better.”
Iowa Firearms Coalition President David Funk:
"Our prayers are with the Perry community following this morning's act of evil. Iowa must, finally, harden soft-targets and empower school staff who love their children enough to protect them to do so. Signs don't stop evil, good people do,"
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley:
"Todays appalling violence at Perry HS is heartbreaking Barbara + I are grateful for quick response by school officials &law enforcement to protect students +restore safety. The Perry community is strong& will band 2gether thru hard time Im here 2help if addtl fed resources needed"
US Rep. Zach Nunn, Iowa 3rd District (which includes Perry):
“After today’s tragic attack at Perry High School, I’ve remained in close contact with first-responders who have indicated to me that the school is now secure.
"As a parent and community member, I’m beyond angry. My heart, and my commitment to holding those accountable, is with the community of Perry. We have a duty to protect our children, families, and educators.
"I remain in touch with first responders and local leaders in Perry, and I will continue to monitor the situation closely. We will not rest until there is full accountability for this heinous act of violence.”
Sandy Hook Promise (national nonprofit organization started by family members of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting):
"We are heartbroken for the loved ones of the student killed in this tragedy and for those injured. The pain and anguish felt after a child is taken by senseless violence is incomprehensible," said Nicole Hockley, who lost her son, Dylan, in the Sandy Hook shooting. "The trauma for all survivors and those impacted will be with them for the rest of their lives. We understand firsthand this nightmare journey and are here to offer support to anyone affected by this tragedy."
Nebraska state senator to offer bill to arm school staff:
In the aftermath of the Perry school shooting, Nebraska State Senator Tom Brewer intends to offer up a bill for consideration that would allow school districts to arm staff.
"I'm not saying we arm any teachers. It's up to the school board. It may be an administrator, or it may be a janitor," Brewer said.
The school board and administrators would decide, and they'd need to have a written policy.
"They need to be trained. They need to be educated and they need to be ready. So, if something happens, they actually are value added," Brewer said.
He said most of the time, the weapon would be locked, with only the authorized person having access.
"The idea has never been that someone would carry it around. It would be available in some type of a lock device. So, if they needed it, they could retrieve it," Brewer said.
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For myself, I fail to see how this is really a solution. The Perry incident was over in a few minutes, and the same holds true for the VAST majority of school shootings. If school staff have to access some kind of firearms locker to get a weapon, the odds are very good that whatever is happening will be over by the time whatever staff member was trying to access the firearms can do so. In Perry, the first law enforcement began arrive just 7 minutes after the first 911 call.
Sources:
Ahmir Jolliff: Sixth-grader killed in Perry school shooting remembered as a joyful boy
11-year-old killed in Perry school shooting remembered as a joyful boy who loved soccer and singing
17-year-old Perry High School shooting suspect posted photo on TikTok before shooting
Iowa leaders, elected officials react to Perry High School shooting
Families of Sandy Hook victims release statement on Perry High School shooting
Nebraska senator after Iowa school shooting: Give schools option of arming employees
Trump sends 'deepest sympathies' over Perry school shooting: 'But we have to get over it'