A 17-year-old student allegedly opened fire Thursday at a local high school in Iowa and killed a sixth grader, according to authorities, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The alleged shooter, identified by authorities as Dylan Butler, allegedly opened fire during the first day of school after winter break, according to The AP. The shooting reportedly resulted in the death of a sixth-grade student and left five others, including the school principal, wounded. Butler, a student at the school, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, investigators determined, according to the outlet.
The motive behind Butler’s alleged actions remains under investigation, though friends and family suggested to The AP that a background of prolonged bullying may have played a role, the outlet reported. Two fellow students and their mother reportedly spoke of Butler’s enduring harassment since elementary school, intensifying of late with his younger sister also becoming a target. (RELATED:School Knew Of Michigan Shooter’s Problems Before His Rampage, Lawyer Claims)
BREAKING: Police say 17-year-old killed a sixth grader and wounded five in Iowa school shooting https://t.co/xT6XHOPu54
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 4, 2024
“He was hurting. He got tired. He got tired of the bullying. He got tired of the harassment,” student Yesenia Roeder Hall said, according to The AP. “Was it a smart idea to shoot up the school? No. God, no.”
The alleged shooting has once again ignited the debate over gun laws in the United States, The AP reported. Iowa’s regulations, which the outlet pointed out no longer require a permit for buying a handgun or carrying a firearm in public, are under scrutiny.
Shooting incidents have reportedly sparked renewed calls for stricter laws on firearms. However, opposition remains, particularly in states like Iowa where gun ownership is deeply established, according to the outlet.